International Delight
by xLaceMeWithWindx
Summary: Katie Bell had been riddled with problems from a young age, but her biggest problem of all seems to be love. Rating ChangeEdited Chapters
1. Patron of Saints

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

Author's Note: Edited 07-02-07

**International Delight  
**_**Chapter One: Patron of Saints**_

"Alexander Bell!" Oh God. I lost him. I tried screaming louder, "ALEX!" Oh, Merlin, I was the worst mother ever. _**Ever. **_Honestly, after four years, one would think that I wouldn't lose my child, at the train station of all places!

I began to spin about wildly while screaming his name. Sure, two years had passed since the demise of You-Know-Who (and Harry, _God rest his soul_), but it didn't make it safe to lose a four year old in a train station; a train station that happened to be full to the brim of underaged witches and wizards.

As that particular thought ran through my mind, I started to scream again. "Alex! Where are you? Alexander James Bell! Where are you? Alex?"

Still, I received no reply. My eyes watered up, and I choked back sobs. Somehow, by some awful twist of fate, I had lost the most important thing in my life. Alex was probably far gone by now with some rejected dark wizard that intended to kill him.

As I did start to sob, I could almost feel his little hands tugging at my sleeves. Faintly, in my mind, I could hear his angelic little voice call out, "Mommy!"

"Oh, Alex," I moaned out. His little voice would always haunt me. "Mommy!" It had already started. . . "Mommy!" His little chant of, "Mommy, mommy," grew louder in my mind before I realized that it wasn't in my head after all. I wiped tears from my eyes and glanced down.

My heart melted. His perfect sea-green eyes stared up at me as the wind danced through his sand-blonde hair. . . (his daddy's sand-blonde hair). A look of worry was spread over his sweet, innocent face, and my heart broke for him. Four years old and he already knew that it was something bad when his mommy cried.

I swooped down like a hawk would upon its prey and scooped him into my arms. I hugged him tightly and moaned his name in thankful praise. My baby had been returned to me, but by whom had he been returned? What chivalrous being returned the noble son to my monarch-like arms?

"Katelinn!" I froze. I knew that voice, and it was one that I wasn't pleased to hear. I looked up to see him strutting my way. His boyishly good looks were still about him.

"Seamus," I replied curtly. I then noticed, as his sandy hair blew in the wind, that he didn't have a single line on his face. Not a single line was creased across his forehead from bunching it up when Alex was sick. There wasn't a single thing in the way that he walked that suggested he was a struggling teenage parent of four years. His cheeks weren't rough from the chafing mine under went while I cried myself to sleep at night wondering how Alex would grow up without a father.

"I found Alex wondering, so I sent him back over. I only _just _came over because I was. . . ah. . . seeing someone off," he said with particular emphasis on the word just.

I heard the shrill scream of, "I love you, Seamus! I'll see you at Christmas, baby!", and I looked up to see a girl whom had probably just turned seventeen hanging out of the window of her train compartment. Secretly, I hoped that her head would smash against a brick wall as it passed out of the station.

I sneered. Of course Seamus didn't carry the burdens of teenage parenthood; fore he had ferociously denied having fathered the child. He went as far as to get a Medi-Wizard fired from a prestigious clinic. When the test proved Alex to be his, he screamed and then sued. Of course, even though his father was a muggle, the man was one of the best lawyers in all of Great Britain. When it came time for the trial, he easily proved that the Medi-Wizard was incompetent. On top of getting the poor man fired, he guaranteed that I would never be able to get a correct parternity test again. . . That muggle bastard.

I merely nodded to Seamus as yet another tear slipped down my face. A little hand reached up and brushed it away before an even smaller voice said, "I love you, Mommy."

A small smile crept its way onto my face, and I realized something new. _Dimples. _Seamus didn't have dimples from smiling over his son. Dimples were one thing that I was content with having that Seamus didn't.

"Uh, so. . . How have you been, Kat?" Seamus asked. I smirked at him. I could tell that he was **extremely** uncomfortable.

"Oh, you know, I've been about as good as a teenaged mother can be when the father of her child blatantly refuses that the child is his. . . Not that you would know anything about that," I muttered maliciously. Sure, it had been a total of four years since the beginning of my trials with the cheeky Irish bastard, but I was still resentful towards him. He had taken away an age of innocence that I still should have possessed. After taking the coveted age of innocence, he refused to be part of the tribulations that followed.

Seamus shuffled his feet in a very uncomfortable manner. My malicious smile grew ever wider as he mumbled, "Er. . . yeah. . ."

"Oh, but I really must be getting back," I mumbled quietly. Before Seamus could say anything more, I had apparated away, clutching my son tightly to my chest.

Once I appeared in The Leaky Cauldron, I started to search for my friends. They would, of course, scold me for interacting with the man because they knew how I would act after doing so, depressed and extremely put out. On the other hand, I was pretty sure that they would be pleased that I had basically told him where to shove it.

One call of, "Oi! Katie, over here!" later found Alex and myself sitting around a table with Fred, George, Lee, Alicia and Angelina.

Once I was comfortable, with Alex sleeping in my arms, Alicia asked, "Did you see Krystal off okay?"

I nodded. Krystal was my younger sister. She had been in my care ever since our parents died at the hand of Bellatrix Lestrange three years beforehand. Krystal would be turning seventeen in December, and she would be leaving school near the end of June. "Of course I saw her off fine, but Alex did manage to escape from my line of vision." At that point, Angelina gasped, and I continued on, "I know! But someone brought him back to me fairly quickly."

"Who?" George asked excitedly, as if losing your child was an exciting experience that everyone should partake in daily.

I sighed. "The one and only patron of saints; Mr. Seamus Finnegan himself."

Fred gasped appropriately. "What happened?" Lee questioned.

With a sad smile, I relayed my adventure from the train station. At the end of my story, the twins and Lee were chuckling. Angelina and Alicia were looking at me with worried glances, but I threw them a small smile. For some reason, this run in with Seamus hadn't left me feeling used up and completely worthless.

"Katie!" Fred scolded in a joking manner, "I can't believe that you actually talked to him!"

Yeah, here was the scolding part. "Well," I muttered condescendingly, "he brought Alex back to me. I had to say something!" I really couldn't have just left him there without thanking him (which I don't think I did. . .) At least I made him feel like shit. I decided to point that out to the group.

"Jolly good point," George then replied.

"Honestly, though, Katie," Alicia started slowly, "he actually thought you wouldn't be doing well?"

"You know how he is!" I exclaimed vehemently. Seamus always thought that I was incompetent and unable to provide for myself.

"Well," Angelina stated,"you have one up on Seamus."

"And what's that?" I asked as I ran my fingers through Alex's hair.

"You're a pretty common name in the Quidditch world. He's not even publically known aside from being a bastard."

I shrugged but allowed a smile to the black girl. "I'm just a Medi-Witch." At twenty-two years old, I was, and I apologize for this sounding conceited, one of the best Medi-Witch's in the Quidditch circuit. I had studied Healing after I left Hogwarts, thanks to the fact that I spent half of my last year at Hogwarts in St. Mongo's because of that damned cursed necklace. Once I started to get my wits about me, I began to realize how awesome the art of healing was. After two years in studying Healing, I left school with an undergrad in Quidditch Healing. Since I left school, at the age of nineteen, I'd been working for the Tutshill Tornados and was actually know throughout the Quidditch world, not just by myself and my friends, as the best Medi-Witch around.

"That works for the Tutshill Tornados." Fred and George said with brilliant smiles

"God, not for long!" I viciously exclaimed as one of thet less brutal waitresses came and took our orders. Once she finished with the orders, I continued, "That Anthony Jones! He thinks I'm a personal slave. I think not! Tons of other teams would kill for a Medi-Witch like me!"

"Wait! Didn't Bulgaria actually try to kill someone for you at the beginning of the off season?" George asked excitedly.

"Don't remind me... That was so messy," I moaned as the three men at the table laughed hysterically.

I looked to Alicia for help, and she tutted. "Shut up, guys. I think Katie's actually serious about quitting."

"Katie threatens to quit all the time! She never has before, and the day she does, I'll eat an entire box of Canary Creams!" Exclaimed Lee feverishly.

"Start eating," I muttered. All eyes turned on me, and a chorus of "What the Hell?" could be heard. I shrugged, "I put in my two week notice halfway through August. I clean out my office tomorrow."

After a couple of "good for you"s from Alicia and Angelina, George looked at Lee excitedly. Fred was rummaging through the pockets of his cloak. "You do realize, Lee," George said as Fred finally pulled a box from his pocket, "that Canary Creams now come in boxes of fifty?"

Lee visibly paled as Fred continued on, "And I happen to have a box of them on me." I lauged joyously. Even in times like these, my friends could always be depended upon to lighten my mood.

As I started to apparate away later that I evening, I swore I could hear Alicia whisper to Angelina," How bad do you think she's going to take this run in with Seamus?"

I smiled as Angelina replied, "For once, I don't think she'll take it hard at all." Then I was gone.


	2. Through the Grapevine

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

**A/N: I had one of these for the last chapter, but I'm not really sure where it went... So, thanks for reading, yada yada yada, I live on feedback, but it's not necessary. I'll love you forever if you do review, blah blah blah. Thanks to the reviews I got for the last chapter, and I'm going to go ahead and tell you that it's not likely that you'll ever get an update this close to the last ever again. You should expect about a two week wait between each update. I procrastinate like that.**

Edited 07-02-07

**  
International Delight**  
_**Chapter Two: Through the Grapevine of the Quinsy Triplets  
**_

My head spun as I shrunk down more of my medical equipment. The whole team, with the exception of Jones, seemed to be pretty miffed that I would be leaving the ranks of their various trainers. As I levitated more of the shrunken things into my funky carpet bag (which had been a gift from Alicia for my last birthday), I heard another angry set of yells at the Tornados coach, Bernard Brown.

"How the Hell are you letting her get away?" The keeper, Angela Quinsy, yelled angrily at him. "She's the best ruddy Medi-Witch in the field, and you're letting her get away because of that great prat Jones!"

"Now, Angela," Bernard stammered slowly.

I laughed as she screamed, "Don't you, "Now, Angela," me, Bernard! How can you expect us to make it to the tournaments if we don't have a decent Medi-Witch to keep us in players in single pieces?"

"Honestly, Angela! She's leaving by choice!"

"No, she's leaving because you let Jones bully her! You don't know what you're doing with losing Bell, but I guarantee you Bernard Bartholomew Brown, you'll regret the day Katie Bell left."

"She's right, Coach," I heard Andrew Quinsy, Angela's brother, interject. "Bell's the best ruddy Medi-Witch on the circuit, and you'll be more than sorry."

Bernard could be heard spluttering as the third voice (and the last of the Quinsy triplets) said, "I hate to admit it, Bernie, but they're right."

I heard the distinct sound of someone getting clapped on the back roughly before Andrew said, "Thank you, Xavier! Ugh! You'll see, Bernard. . ."

I shook my head and went back to packing as the triplets started thundering down the hall in their usual fashion. I assumed that they were headed my way. I had just levitated the last of my belongings into my bag when they appeared in the doorway. As I struggled to snap my bag closed, I greeted them with a smile.

"Kaaaaaate," Xavier whined, his brown eyes looking remarkably like those of a sad puppy.

"Xaaaaavier," I mocked him.

He sighed. "Do you really have to go?"

I nodded sadly. With a small smile of reassurance, I said, "I do truly have to go. I can't stay here and let Jones treat me like a flobberworm."

"Do you have another job yet?" Asked Andrew, the worrier of the group.

"No, I don't, Mother."

"Kat!" Angela exclaimed angrily, while ignoring the sass that I had sent to her brother. "How are you and Alex going to make it?"

I sighed. I had been asking myself the same question for three weeks now. I ran my tanned hand through the mop of curly brown. "Well. . . I have someone interested in buying that new practice robe I developed."

I smiled in amusement as Xavier ran a hand down the front of his brown robe fondly. After a few short seconds, however, he was frowning at me. "Katie, this robe is spectacular, and I know that you've been patenting it for four years, but seriously, that is a totally indefinite thing."

"Merlin. . . I know, Xav, but it's all I've got for now."

"Well," Angela said, while checking over her shoulder and into the corridor, "you didn't hear this from us, but word got out fast about you quitting, and Coach has been getting owls from all over the place from people that are trying to find out if you've really quit."

"Yeah," Andrew interjected happily, "all sorts of teams are interested in you!"

I thanked the triplets and quickly left the office. It was definitely interesting to heard that teams wanted me for their Medi-Witch, but I didn't want to stick around the Tornados training house all day long. Besides, I had to go pick Alex up from the daycare that he was in.

Apparently, the Patil twins had a knack for controlling children, and they had been caring for Alex since he was a year old. One of the twins worked out of Diagon Alley while the other worked out of Hogsmeade. I kept Alex in the one in Diagon Alley. It was run by Padma and her friend Mandy Brocklehurst. Alex loved both of the girls, and it was easy to keep him there so close to everything (and everyone).

I threw one last smile over my should to the Quinsy triplets before apparating to right outside of the daycare: Wizard's Dream Child Development Centre. With a content smile, I entered the daycare. As soon as the door closed behind me, hundreds upon hundreds of colored cotton balls pelted me. I looked up as they reformed in the air as a peaceful looking rainbow.

"Oh! Sorry about that, Katie!" I heard. I turned to see Padma waddling towards the rainbow as fast as possible with her wand pointed to it. Padma Davies, the three year wife of Roger Davies, was pregnant with her first child, and I didn't envy her one bit. At eight months, she was looking very radiant; but at the same time, she looked as if she were about to pop. With a tired smile to me, she said, "Fred and George Weasley stopped by earlier to pick up Ronny for Bill and Fleur. They must have enchanted it while they were here to attack people."

I shrugged it off with a laugh. There really wasn't any harm in a bit of fun courtesy of the Weasley Twins. "It's fine, Padma. Is Alex ready?"

"He's just started his afternoon nap, Katie. Why don't you take a couple of hours to yourself? Oh, and leave the bag here, darling, I'll banish it to your flat."

I smiled gratefully at the girl. She was so good at banishing charms. "Thanks, Padma. I'll be back by four-thirty."

She smiled back warmly and proceeded to show me out of the daycare. _Well_, I thought as I took in a deep breath of the late summer air,_ I might as well go to the Quidditch shop. Terrance always knows what's going on with the Quidditch teams._

As soon as I entered Quality Quidditch Supplies, I was met with a rough voice exclaiming, "Well, if it isn't Miss-I'm-Too-Good-for-the-Tutshill-Tornados!"

I smiled and looked around as if I didn't know who he was talking about. I looked back with a faux-shocked expression. "Who? Me?"

"Who else?" The greying wizard asked with a warm smile.

"You've quite got it wrong, Terrance."

"Oh?" He asked as customers looked on in amusement.

I nodded. "You see, I'm actually Miss Katie I'm-Too-Good-for-Anthony-Jones Bell."

Terrance slapped his forehead and feigned a disappointed sigh. "I can't believe that I got you mixed you up with that other tramp. I'm a bloody idiot."

I smiled. "Honestly, Terrance, I can't believe that you'd get me mixed up with a tramp at all!"

The elderly wizard jerked his head over his shoulder. He was indicating that I should go behind the counter. Once there, I occupied the stool right next to his. As I took care of his latest customer, a man buying his child a toy broomstick for his/her birthday, I noticed him staring at me with a small grin.

When the man left, I rested my arms on the counter and asked, "What are you thinking, Terrance?"

"Have you gotten a job yet?"

I cocked an eyebrow. "No, sir. I'm hoping that the practice robes will go through with Ireland. . . Have you heard anything yet?"

"Marion did happen to call earlier today. Ireland wants thirty-four of your training robes. Apparently Jeff McCready was insanely impressed by the sample robe you sent. He's offered to pay you seven galleons a robe. On top of that, he'll pay you four times that amount if you'll personalize each robe and have them to them by their first practice, which is at the end of next week."

I gasped and started to do the figures in my head. That was nearly a thousand galleons! The man must have been severely impressed with the robes if he was willing to pay that much for them! I could easily have the robes finished in just a couple of hours, honestly. . . My charm was easy enough to perform, and I could easily buy another material charm off of Marion.

I had just started to open my mouth to say something when Terrance continued on, "And Marion said that he'd like for you to do a game robe for him. Two different styles, one for International Games and one for League games. He said he'd want," at this point, the man peeked down at a piece of paper sitting before him, "three pairs a piece for their main players in two styles, five pairs of each for each of the three coaches, and two pairs of each style for all of the reserve players. That totals up to 112 robes. He's offering 13 galleons a robe, and he'll triple the money if you can get them to him before the first league game."

I was back to the figuring in my head. That was nearly 4,500 galleons. I nearly fainted when I realized that I could easily have almost six-thousand galleons in my emptying Gringott's account by the next week. Oh, yes, I could make 146 robes in a week. No problem. My heart started to beat wildly. Was it legal for someone like me to make nearly 6,000 galleons in a week. . . Well, if it wasn't, it sure as Hell had become legal.

"Count me in. I wouldn't have to have a job for a couple of months. . ." I pondered aloud.

"I told Marion that you would do it!" He exclaimed with a smile.

"Oh, I'll have to start right away! This is spectacular, Terrance! I won't even have to worry about _looking_ for a quidditch team! I could just wait until one wanted me!"

Terrance smiled his wolfish grin and said, "And if you do need a job, you know that you can just work here. I'll pay you a ridiculously high wage."

"Godric, what would I do without you and Marion to take care of me?"

"You'd perish," he started roughly. "That's what the Hell you'd do because of that scum-bag Finnegan."

I smiled. Terrance and Marion Malkin took care of me to no end. Marion helped me to get deals with my robes, and Terrance always seemed to know when a quidditch team seemed to need my services, even if the jobs were just temporary little shin-digs while I worked for the Tornados. With a grin, I wrapped my arm around Terrance. The Malkins had treated me nothing short of a daughter when my parents died.

Once I had freed him, he asked, "How's Alex?"

"Growing like Devil's Snare. He's with Padma right now. He was napping when I got there, and she demanded that I leave him and take some time for myself."

"Speaking of time for yourself." Oh Godric; here it was again. Terrance always wanted me to start dating, but I couldn't, and I hadn't since Alex was born. One; I didn't have time. Two; who wanted to date a single mom? Three; I didn't trust men since the Seamus ordeal.

"No, I am not dating anyone. No, I do not intend to start dating anyone!"

He shrugged. "It was worth a try, wasn't it?"

"Perhaps. . . Well, Terrance, I think I'm going to go see the Weasleys before I pick Alex up."

He nodded. "Tell them to tell that sister of theirs that I have a new broom for her to test."

I nodded before leaving the Quidditch shop. With a satisfied smile, I darted about Diagon Alley in search of Weasley Wizard Wheezes. In no time at all, I spotted the vibrant shop that had been thriving for about six years now. I waltzed through the door.

"Oi! George, Katie's here!"

"Oi! Fred, I can see her!"

I laughed at the hyperactive men. "Hey, guys."

"Well, aren't you peppy Miss I-Walk-Out-On-World-Famous-Quidditch-Teams!" George barked happily.

"Why, yes indeed, George, I am very exuberant."

"Who are you?" George demanded.

Fred finished for him, "And what have you done with our Katie? Our Katie that walks out on world famous quidditch teams!"

"Leave me alone, guys! I just got the most serious robe order of my life! After finally sending a robe to McCready to try, he decided that he wanted his team to have my practice robes. He also decided that he wants me to make them a new game robe. . . I got a 146 robe order, and he's willing to pay nearly six-thousand galleons."

"That's spectacular, Katie!"

"Speaking of spectacular!" Fred exclaimed as the bell for the shop jingled, indicating that someone had just entered. That someone happened to be a very muddy Ginny Weasley.

"Ginny, you're a bit. . ." I started dryly.

"Messy? You're damn right that I am. Those horrible men turned the water off in the women's locker and hid my wand!"

I rolled my eyes. I pulled my wand from a pocket and exclaimed, "Scourgify!" Ginny smiled thankfully to me, and I shrugged. "Oh! Ginny, Terrance had a new broom that he wants you to test."

"Did he say what it was?" She asked as she gingerly ran her fingers through her hair just to check that it truly was completely clean.

"No, he didn't."

"Oh. All right, I'll check it out before dinner tonight. Speaking of," she turned angry eyes on the twins, "you had better not be late tonight. I won't wait this time. Oh, and I'm supposed to bring Ronny home. Where is he?"

The twins didn't have time to answer. Instead, the two year old came running out of the back room. His strawberry blonde hair blew in his haste. He dropped the pink Pygmy Puff he had been holding and exclaimed, "Aunt Ginny!"

I smiled as she ruffled his hair. "Hey squirt. Are you ready to go home and get ready for dinner?"

"Yeah! Yeah!" He exclaimed as she picked him up. She shot a glare over her shoulder and warned, "Don't be late."

I waved goodbye to the twins and followed Ginny out of the shop. The auburn haired, twenty year old, beauty smiled brightly. "Hey, Katie, why don't you bring Alex and come to dinner tonight?"

"I .. . er. . ."

"Great! Be at the house by six!" She exclaimed.

I cocked my eyebrow but merely sighed. It was four-fifteen. I needed to get Alex and head to our house to get ready. Dinner at the Weasleys' was always quite the affair.


	3. A Very Wealsey Affair

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

**Author's Note: This is fairly quick for me. I have three more chapters (on top of this one) written, but I'm going to try to always have 3+ chapters every time I post one. Just another random tid bit for you kids. Thanks for the reviews and thanks for the other 322 people for reading.**

**Dedication: This chapter's for Jessica because it's fun, and we can both use the cheering up.**

**Edited: 07-02-07**

****

International Delight  
_**Chapter Three: A Very Wealsey Afffair**_

When I arrived outside of the Burrow, it was fifteen to six, and it appeared like there was quite the party going on inside. I straightened my jeans and white turtle-neck jumper. I wiggled my toes in my black high heels. When I had finished with all of that, I looked at Alex and asked, "How do I look, kiddo?"

"You're so pretty, Mommy!" I smiled as I reached down for his tiny hand. Slowly, the two of us made our way up the drive to the spectacular house. Once we arrived to the door, I allowed Alex to rap smartly on the aged wood.

A few seconds later the door was answered by a thin and haggered Molly Weasley. The war had been over for two years, but every day haunted Molly in the worst sort of way. During the war, she had lost her husband, her second eldest, and her youngest boy. On top of that, she lost Harry Potter, the boy who had been like a seventh son, Hermione Granger, who had been like a second daughter, she lost her son Percy, who had become a power-hungry Death Eater, and her son Bill had been seriously disfigured by the werewolf, Fenrir Greyback. Yes, the war had been extremely cruel to Molly Weasley, leaving her with her eldest son Bill and his family, the twins, and Ginny.

I smiled warmly and offered the woman a tight hug. "It's so good to see you, Molly."

"Oh, you look so thin, Katie!" The woman fussed as Alex rushed forward to hug her legs.

With a chuckle, I replied, "I tried desperately to get this figure back. I promise you that I do eat healthy, and I do feed Alex plenty."

"Well. . . Do come in, darling. There's no reason for you stand there in the cold!" She ushered Alex and myself in, and I decided against arguing with her. It wasn't at all cold out, but to let Molly have her way was to be on her good side. Being on Molly Weasley's good side was a spectacular thing.

Molly patted Alex on the head and slipped him a sweet, which he began to chew upon happily. She smiled to me and said, "Everyone's in the entertainment room if you'd like to go there."

"Actually," I started sheepishly, "would it be okay if I went out to the springs and left Alex to play with Ronny and Leslie?"

She smiled warmly. "Of course, dear. Would you like for me to set up Charlie's old room for the night? Everyone else is staying, and I would like for you to."

I smiled. Since the war, Molly had the tendency to take care of everyone. Because of this, she frequently had her children and their friends and families stay the night with her. "Of course we'll stay, but I'll fix the room when I get back," I paused momentarily to catch my breath. "Oh... Molly, would it be okay if I skipped dinner?"

A very disapproving look crossed her face. She honestly **did **think that I didn't take care of myself, and I hadn't helped my case any with that question. I smiled sheepishly once again, and she glowered at me. "I would prefer that you not, but I know how you love those springs... I'll send one of the boys along with your dinner."

I grinned warmly. "Thanks, Molly."

She smiled and bustled away into the kitchen. Quickly, I took Alex towards the living room. "Listen, kiddo, Mommy's going to go take a swim. If Uncle Fred or Uncle George asks where I am, tell them that I said to sod off."

He nodded, and his eyes started to tear up. I squatted down to his level and said, "Hey, buck up, little man. Ronny and Leslie are in there, and we're staying with Mo-mo tonight."

He grinned wanly at me and said, "Okay." Afterwards, he quickly rushed into the living room.

As I walked away, I heard George ask, "Where's your mom, Alex?"

The smile on my face spread wider when I heard Alex reply, "Mommy said to sod off, Uncle George!"

I laughed to myself. That was my little man. Before George could chase after me, however, I was out of the house. Out of habit, I conjured a lit candle and walked through the backyard toward the forest behind the Burrow. After ten minutes, I found the little spring that served as something like a hot tub for the Weasleys.

As the sun began to sink ever further below the horizon, I conjured a few hundred candles and enchanted them to float above and around the spring. I then conjured about six dozen white lilies to float on the water. I quickly checked the perimeter to check that I was alone before stripping completely and lowering myself into the hot water.

A lofty sigh escaped my lips. I hadn't felt this relaxed since... well, since the last time I had visited the spring. The flowery scent of the lilies, the warmth of the water, and the flickering of the candles soon sent me dozing peacefully. I was leaned against a rock that protruded near the middle of the spring with all but my head submerged in the water.

A twig snapped nearby, and I was pulled from my peaceful half-sleep state. With a small smile playing on my lips, I asked, "Dinner over already, George?"

"Nearly," he said. I heard a rustle of old leaves and fresh pine needles as he placed something on the ground. "Mom sent me with your supper."

I sighed. "What time is it?"

"About seven forty-five."

"Already? Argh. . . I should probably get back and start giving Alex a bath."

"Don't worry about it," he said before slipping into the water and wading to where he stood before me, more than likely just as naked as I was. "Mom gave him a bath once they finished dinner. She's so happy whenever kids are around."

I opened my green eyes slowly. His own deep blue eyes were gazing into mine intently. I shifted my feet in the water and dug my toes deeper into the muck. I leaned my head back against the rock again, and he sighed.

"Hmm?" I grunted.

"You always make it so pretty when you come out here."

"There's no use in relaxing if it's not nice," I mumbled. At that point, I knew he was smiling.

A few minutes passed before he mumbled, "So, Katie. . ."

"Mmm?"

"Where are you going to start dating and trying to find Alex a dad?"

My eyes snapped open. George was the last person I ever expected to have this conversation with. "When men stop being pigs!"

"Men are pigs," he muttered.

I smiled warmly at him. With a chuckle I asked, "Spill it fag, what's wrong?"

"It's just Dean. . ."

"Did he cheat on you? Because I'll break his legs!" I said in a sudden, extremely defensive, tone.

George sighed before dunking under the water. When he came back up, his hair was sticking to his face and beads of water were rolling down his skin. "I think he's bored with me!"

I gasped. "How could he be bored with you! You're a redhead! And you know what they say about redheads."

"Kate, I think he's mad that I won't tell the family."

"Well," I started slowly, "I could see how that could upset him."

"Oh!" He wailed, "I know! I know! But I can't tell the family! Mom would die! I mean, Dad's dead, Charlie's dead, Ron's dead, Harry's dead, Hermione's dead, Percy's in Azkaban, and Bill turns extremely funny once a month! She couldn't handle a gay son, too! God, how would Fred take it?"

"Honey, listen to me. . . Molly's lost so many people. She wouldn't abandon you because you prefer men in the sack opposed to women. And Fred. . . Well, Fred's your twin. He probably already has an inkling of an idea."

"Yeah, but what about Ginny? And Bill? And Fleur!"

"Hush. They won't care, so stop being a queer about it. Just bring Dean to dinner one night and tell them."

"Are you sure?" He asked, completely uncertain.

I smiled. "Is my name Katie Bell?"

"Actually, no, I'm pretty sure that Gunny mentioned something along the lines of Miss Katie I'm-Too-Good-For-Anthony-Jones Bell. . ."

"Oh, hush, George." I commanded, and he obeyed while throwing me a small smile. "So, what'd Molly send me?"

"Chicken, potatoes, greens, vegetables, fruit salad, and some pumpkin pasties."

"What? Nothing to drink?"

"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Yeah! She sent her Firewhiskey Pumpkin Juice."

I smiled. Molly sure did know how to take care of a girl. "Oi, close your eyes. I'm going to get changed."

Without argument, he obliged to my wishes. I climbed from the spring and dried myself with my wand before dressing. Once I was dressed, I sat with my basket of food and told George that he could open his eyes.

He watched as I tore apart my food. With a worried look, he asked, "When's the last time you ate like that?"

"When's the last time I had Molly's cooking?" I questioned in what I had hoped was a rhetorical manner.

Apparently, it wasn't at all rhetorical. "I don't know."

"Than neither do I."

"Katie," he moaned in a worried manner.

"George," I started softly, "listen, I **do** eat, and I **do **eat healthy. There's something about your mom's food that just makes me super-hungry."

"Eh," he laughed (I was making faces at him), "It's understandable. Mom's food is the most spectacular thing on this side of the Atlantic."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I asked, cursing in a way that I hardly ever did. He cocked an eyebrow, and I continued, "Your mom's food is the best on the planet."

As I tore into some of the vegetables ferociously, he smiled and replied, "Mom would be pleased to know that you think so highly of her cooking."

"Well, I might just tell her."

"And you'd be faced with dinner invitations every night," he replied before dunking under the warm water again.

Once he reemerged, gasping for breath, I asked, "What's so bad about that?"

In a voice that sounded remarkably like my own, he muttered, "I've worked so hard to get back in shape! Having a child is a messy business! And a fat business!"

I rolled my eyes as I finished off my fruit salad and started on one of the two Pumpkin Pasties. He smiled before slipping back under the water. Without his constant badgering for a few seconds, my mind began to wander. How sad was it when a girl's relationship problems were those of her friends?

"Pretty sad," I mumbled to myself. I finished off my Pumpkin Pasties and quickly moved on to my Firewhiskey Pumpkin Juice. Merlin, Molly Weasley was a freaking goddess in my eyes.

By the time George finally got out of the spring and dressed, it was safe to say that I was a bit past the line of completely lit. George smiled widely as he packed up the food basket and tried to help me to my feet. I stumbled a bit before breaking into a fit of giggles. With a shake of his head, he hefted me over his shoulder. He waved his wand and everything that I conjured disappeared.

I slapped him on the back and giggled as I said, "You're a s... si... s... silleeee boy, George!" He laughed at my stuttering and the prolonged 'e' sound at the end of silly.

"And you," he continued to laugh as he carried me through the woods, "are completely drunk." I literally couldn't disagree with him. I had passed out over his shoulder as the Burrow came into view.

Molly Weasley stood in the kitchen with her youngest child, Ginny. With a small smile, she pointed to where George was coming out of the woods with Katie slung over his shoulder. She had always wanted Katie to be a part of the family. . .


	4. Thirteen Owls

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

**Author's Note: Thanks for all of the lovely support for this story. I'm sorry that this chapter has been longer than the promised two weeks, but hey, it would have been a longer amount of time had Chuck Norris not roundhouse kicked Mother Nature until she made it snow here in Tennessee. So, here's chapter four, and I'm sorry for the wait.**

**International Delight**_**  
Chapter Four: Thirteen Owls**_

When I woke up the next morning, it was to a little hand poking me hard on the stomach. I groaned as I attempted to open my eyes. The light stung, and I had the unnerving urge to throw up all of my dinner from the previous evening.

"Mommy! Get up! There's an owl at the window for you!" Alex exclaimed as he began to poke me in the side.

I started to mumble petty curses under my breath before getting out of the nice, warm bed and stumbling toward the window. Once it was successfully opened, my eyes widened in shock. There had not been one owl waiting for me; there had been thirteen. Each one landed on the bed around my squealing child.

I rubbed my eyes to make that what I was seeing was correct. Apparently, it was. A huge black owl hooted indignantly and shuffled about on the bed. I decided to detach the letter from its leg. After I detached the letter, it hooted before taking off through the window. I spent the next several minutes taking letters from all of the owls. Once I had them all and the owls were gone, I straightened the stack. With a small smile, I said to Alex, "How about we head down to breakfast, love?"

He nodded and led me to the kitchen. We entered and were greeted by each person at the large table. The group consisted of Molly, Bill, Fleur, Fred, Angelina, George, Ginny, Ronny, and Leslie. The last two seemed the most excited.

"Auntie Katie! You really are here! We thought Alex lied when we didn't see you last night!" Exclaimed the adorable seven year old Leslie Weasley. Fortunately for her, she had inherited her mother's rich, black hair opposed to her father's infamous red. She was a character and acted exactly like her father when he was her age, according to Molly. From the way Molly's eyes teared up from time to time while looking a Leslie was proof of that.

Two days after Charlie died, Leslie was delivered on Molly's doorstep by a Ministry Official. Apparently, Charlie had conceived a child with a stunning Romanian girl and kept it secret from his family. He had gotten custody of Leslie when she was six months old, and he had managed to keep his secret up until his dying day.

'Not that I blame him too much,' I thought to myself. 'Molly nearly died when she found out that Bill was having pre-marital sex in his fifth year of schooling.'

"Of course Alex wasn't lying, Les. Auntie Katie doesn't let Alex go anywhere without her."

"Because," Angelina chimed in with a giggle, "Auntie Katie is crazy!"

I sent Angelina a glare before sitting Alex in a chair and sitting next to him. "Auntie Katie isn't crazy, Auntie Angie. Now, leave me be!"

"Why should I?" She asked with a fake, sweet smile.

I slammed the stack of letters onto the table. With a grin, I replied, "I've got some reading to do, and I'm fairly certain that I'll be happy once I've finished."

"Katie!" George gasped excitedly. "Are those all. . ."

I flipped the stack over and spread them out, revealing the wax seals. "From quidditch teams? Why, yes, George, they are."

"Wow," Angelina breathed in awe. "Merlin's beard! Open them! Open them!"

I smiled at my friends and began to open my letters. The first I opened was from the Wimbourne Wasps. It read:

**09-02**

**Ms. Katie Bell,**

**I've become aware of your recent departure from the Tutshill Tornados. While I'm sure that you're going to want time to puck up your life again (and have a nice break for once at the beginning of the on season), I'd like for you to consider working for the Wimbourne Wasps. Our current healer is no where near as talented as you are, and we'd love to have you on the staff.**

**Please owl your response no later than the 15 of September.**

**Thank you,**

_**Trish Cantrell; staff coordinator Wimbourne Wasps**_

After twelve similar letters, from The Appleby Arrows, Ballycastle Bats, The Caerphilly Catapults, Chudley Cannons, Holyhead Harpies, Kenmare Kestrels, The Bulgarian National Team, Montrose Magpies, Puddlemere United, The American National Team, The Irish National Team and the Pride of Portree, I sighed. I decided to start weighing my options. I would prefer not to work for a national team because their healers were known to come up missing when an important match was approaching, and the only teams that I could tell actually needed me were the Cannons and Puddlemere.

'Eh,' I thought, 'the Cannons never get bloodied up too much, though.' After a few seconds, I realized that I had just made my decision. I was going to work for Puddlemere. My stomach jumped at the realization. Ginny was the reserve seeker for Puddlemere! She would absolutely die!

With a concealed smile to Alex, I pushed all of the letters back into their envelopes. I deliberately took ages to put them in a neat stack. With careful precision, I avoided all of the eyes of my companions and focused on my breakfast. I could practically hear the thoughts that were running through their heads.

"Katie!" I looked up when Bill slammed his hand on his mother's kitchen table. I cocked an eyebrow, and he exclaimed, "Well, what did they say!"

"Oh," I mumbled with a mock frown, "they all just went on about how I was a horrible Medi-Witch. Puddlemere even said that they were glad that the Tornados would be back up to par in games, since they were finally going to get a decent healer."

Fleur gasped. "Zey deedn't?"

"No," Ginny laughed, "they most certainly did not! I watched Coach write that letter!"

I gasped and pretended to faint. When I picked my head up off of the table, I asked in a disbelieving tone, "Are you accusing me of lying, Guinevere Weasley?"

"I am," she stated while rolling her eyes at my use of her full name, "in fact, I was there when that letter was written. Coach was falling all over himself trying to convince you to join the team! You should have seen him when he found out that I know you in a very personal manner."

I laughed loudly as Fred raised an eyebrow. "What," he questioned, "are the two of you lovers now?"

"Ginny! I told you not to tell anyone!" I exclaimed heatedly as I began to refill my plate with more of Molly's delicious cooking.

She smiled and shrugged, "Sorry, darling, the family was on the brink of finding out anyway."

"Finding what out?" Alex asked once he finished his bowl of oatmeal.

With a small smile, I kissed the top of his head. "Nothing, kiddo. Hey, why don't you and Leslie teach Ronny how to play Exploding Snap?" I suggested.

His little green eyes lit up, and the three children quickly raced from the table. They didn't want to wait for another adult to counter their Auntie/Mommy and tell them that Exploding Snap wasn't such a good idea. "Oh," Molly started as she watched the children race away, "how I wish Alex was one of my grandchildren."

I paid no attention to the underlying suggestion in her voice. With a small smile, I replied, "He practically is, Molly. Speaking of Alex, he's really been wanting to spend more time with you, and I'm fairly certain that I've found a way for him to."

"Oh, really?" This time around, I couldn't ignore the suggestive tone. I also nearly choked on my milk when she looked back and forth between George and myself with a raised eyebrow.

George, in a truly Weasley manner, blushed beet red. I coughed to clear my wind pipe of milk. "Molly," I started slowly, "I love you and George dearly, but I think you're getting the wrong impression entirely."

Her face fell. "Oh."

"Uh. . . Yeah. . . George and I aren't dating now, nor will we be in the future for many various reasons," I explained, trying to spare George and myself further embarrassment. "I was just saying that you're the closest thing to a grandparent that Alex has, and I wanted to know if you'd like watch him one day during the week."

"Darling! I'd love to! Oh, which day?"

I tried to think back to Padma's busiest day during the week. After a few seconds of thought, I asked, "Would Wednesday be all right?"

"Oh! Of course! We always have family dinner on Wednesday night! The two of you could stay for that."

I smiled in relief. "Spectacular, he really does love spending time with you, Molly. All he asks me any more is when he's going to get to see Mo-Mo again."

"He is a sweet heart," she mumbled before getting up and clearing the dishes. I chanced a glance to George, and his face held a look that clearly said, "Thank you." I shrugged.

I had just started my second plate of breakfast when Ginny impatiently asked, "Aren't you going to tell us which team you chose?"

"Oh!" I feigned shock. "You wanted to know?" Quite a few glares were passed my way. "Oh, well sure. . . I'm going to work for the Bulgarian National Team."

"Are you joking?" Ginny spat. When I indicated that I wasn't, she went on to ask, "But why?"

"Because that Viktor Krum fellow is quite the dish. Angie knows how I fancied him during the Triwizard Tournament. Oh, and I could actually go for them offing a couple of people for me."

"Katie!" Fleur gasped.

Angelina giggled. Fred sent her a questioning look. She shrugged, "Viktor Krum is quite dishy!"

Ginny couldn't help but grin at me as she said, "Oh yeah, besides, I've heard that Bulgarians are fairly good in das Bett."

"Das Bett?" Bill questioned.

Ginny shrugged and slowly said, "It's German for the bed."

"Ginny!" Molly scolded with a tinge of red creeping into her cheeks. "You shouldn't talk of your sex-life at the table!"

"You shouldn't talk of your sex-life!" Fred reprimanded.

George nodded in agreement. "Actually," he spat, "you shouldn't **have** a sex-life!"

"Right you are, George! Ginny, you're too young to have a sex-life," Bill exclaimed pompously as he puffed out his chest.

Ginny flushed beet red as she shrilly exclaimed, "Bill, I am twenty years old!"

"Exactly!" He bellowed. "And too young to be having sex! You should be focusing on your career!"

"**Please**!" She screamed in anger, "You've been having sex since you were fifteen. So what if I've had sex? Maybe I've not! You don't know, and you never will!"

Ginny threw her silverware roughly onto the tabletop before leaving the room. She scurried up the stairs quickly. I looked around at the three men at the table and shook my head in disappointment. There would never be a meal at the Weasley residence where Ginny wasn't ganged up on by her three brothers.

"Oh, goodness," Molly sighed, "someone should go check on her."

A few seconds of silence elapsed, and I could clearly tell that none of the men were willing to cross the path of an angry Ginny Weasley. With a sound of disgust, I rose from my seat at the table. "I'll go talk to her," I muttered.

To further my disgust, none of them tried to stop me. As I passed by Molly, who had sat back down at the table, she grabbed my hand. I looked down at her, and she mouthed, "Thank you, so much."

I shrugged it off and headed up the stairs toward Ginny's bedroom. When I arrived on the third floor landing, I was surprised to find that Ginny's door was open and that the brown eyed beauty as no where to be found. I was just turning to leave when I noticed a slip of paper stuck to the door ,near the knob, with a bit of Spell-o-Tape holding it in place. It had my name scrawled across it in Ginny's boy-like handwriting. I grabbed it and sat on the stops to read it.

_**  
Katie,**_

_**I know they've sent you up here to talk to me, and I hate them for it. They're spineless, gutless, and brainless bastards. I don't blame you, of course; I know you're just trying to keep the peace in the family. I appreciate it more than you know.**_

_**At the moment, I've gone for a fly on that broom that Terrance asked for me to try. It looks spectacular, so I don't know how long I'll be. Tell the boys that I do forgive them, but I want them to try to talk to me next time... not make one of the guests do it. I'll be back after while.**_

_**Thanks Kat,**_

_**Ginny**_

_**P.S. I'm glad that you chose Puddlemere (yes, I can tell), by the way. It'll be nice having someone sane around. I also don't have practice tomorrow, and I'd be more than willing to help with Ireland's robes. (Terrance told me.)**_

I smiled to myself and slipped the letter into my pocket. With a groan, I heaved myself up from the landing. My stomach churned urgently, and I was violently thrown back into the world that I woke up in. The nearest bathroom was two stories up and making it there was going to be a race.

Ugh, that I wouldn't win. I doubled over in minute pain as my stomach lurched. After a particularly violent surge of gagging, the content of my stomach had been spewed onto Molly's meticulously clean floor. Godric, why hadn't I taken a hangover remedy?

My stomach had just lurched again when I heard footsteps falling heavily on the stairs. "Ew!" I heard someone moan. Whether it was empathy for me or sickness on their part, I'll never know.

"Grandma!" Ah. . . it was Leslie. Poor girl.

"Yes, love?" Molly called from three floors below.

"Auntie Katie puked everywhere!" Gross, seven year olds were so eloquent.

Damn, I had vomited again. Leslie hopped away from me with a squeal, and I made a mental note to apologize and modify that particular memory from her mind at a more convenient time. I had just managed to clap a hand over my mouth (in hopes that I would stop vomiting) when Molly reached the landing.

After a few minutes under the maternal care of Molly Weasley, I was better than I had ever been after a night of drinking. A queasy feeling still gripped my stomach, but I was definitely better than before. With a grateful smile to Molly, I used the most powerful cleaning spell I knew to banish the vomit.

As she helped me down the stairs and to the sitting room, she sighed. "What?" I croaked. My throat was feeling a bit parched after the round it had had with all of the chyme and hydrochloric acid.

"George left the anti-hangover potion last night. I'm sorry, dear."

A smiled appeared on my face as I stretched out on the couch and watched the kids play Exploding Snap. I had just puked all over her floor, and Molly only cared about George forgetting a potion. Godric, I loved the Weasleys.


	5. Those Irish Boys

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

**Author's Note: It's not been an incredibly long time since I've updated (as it would usually be), but I was bored, and I don't feel like doing my history. So, alas, here I am. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's my favorite yet.**

Edited: 07-02-07

****

International Delight  
_**Chapter Five: Those Irish Boys. . .**_

It was 12:30 P.M. on September the third. I had been without a job for a day, and I was already bogged down with more responsibility and work that I was likely to be able to handle. I heard the familiar pop that meant someone had just apparated into my little workshop, and I nearly screamed.

"I don't care," I started without turning around, "how under qualified your healer is. I don't care who you are, and I don't care who you're having sex with. I've been telling you people all day that I'm going to work on whatever team Guinevere Weasley's on."

"Oh, gross! Have you really been using my full name all day?"

I jumped a bit from the shock of not hearing the apologies that I had become accustomed to over the past couple of hours. I turned and Ginny was soon standing beside me with a huge smile on her face. I grinned and shrugged half-heartedly.

She sighed, "Guinevere. . . where did Mum get that name anyway?"

I rose an eyebrow. "You don't know?"

"I never really wondered until recently, and she always refuses to answer me."

'With good reason,' I thought to myself. Nonetheless, a girl should know where she got her name. I smiled kindly before saying, "Charlie was an avid King Arthur fan. He named you."

A sad look flowed over her features, but as quickly as it had come, it was gone. She gave me a hug and asked, "How many teams have come to see you?"

"Too many," was my simple reply.

"Wait, let's try this. . . How many of the thirteen that sent letters haven't been to visit?"

I thought very carefully before answering, "Four."

"Which?"

"Puddlemere, America, Bulgaria, and Ireland," I answered swiftly. "Er. . . actually, Ireland did stop by, but only to check on the robes."

"Ah. How's that going?" She asked kindly, having known how much I was stressing over it.

"Do you see any robes?"

She looked around quickly to see the shop barren of anything that looked remotely like a finished robe. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry."

"For?" I asked.

"Well, you don't have any robes done."

"Ah!" I exclaimed rather loudly, and she jumped. "I sent them along with him."

"All of them? Him who? Did you get your money! Was he hot?" She fired the questions at me rapidly.

I gasped in shock at the multiple questions. Boy, she may have been fast, but I was good. "Thirty-four, Adrian Troy, no, and Godric yes."

She giggled. "Ooh. . . he is dreamy!"

"Not anyone I know?" Came a gruff voice from the door of my workshop. Finally! Someone actually used the door!

I laughed as Ginny jumped in shock. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of the 6'4'' quidditch God in the back of my shop. Adrian Troy was an extremely famed chaser for the Irish National Team, and Godric, he was drop dead gorgeous.

"Oh," I shrugged, "you might know him."

He smiled, and, without warning, he tossed a heavy leather pouch my way. Out of pure instinct, and reflex, I reached out and grabbed the sack before it could land on the intended target; the desk. He quirked an eyebrow. "Do you know Oliver Wood?" I questioned without missing a beat.

"Of course I do," he replied while crossing his arms over his thick chest. "You can't be a chaser and not know him. Wicked good keeper that one. Its really too bad that he hasn't been in the circuit for years."

"Uhm, yeah. Anyway, my point. . . He was my quidditch captain for three years during school. Not only do I flinch when I hear the word game, I happen to catch random objects that come flying at me. Wood threw a book at me once; I was in the hospital with a concussion for a week," I rambled.

"Merlin, what book?" Troy questioned.

"_Hogwarts; A History_."

Troy merely shook his head and laughed. He stopped abruptly, however, when his gaze landed on Ginny. "Ginny Weasley?"

"Er, yeah?" She answered. She was so confused by his sudden interest that her answer sounded like a question.

"Lynch has been wanting to meet you."

She barely managed to hold in her gasp. "Why in the Hell has Aidan Lynch wanted to meet me?"

"Are you joking?" When it was apparent to him that her shock wasn't feigned, he continued, "You're known to be the best rookie seeker that's been in the circuit for centuries! Lynch wants to meet the girl who could apparently flatten him in a game of quidditch. He thinks that you can't be very good if you're only a reserve."

At those words, I watched as Ginny's pretty face contorted to an ugly glare. 'Oh no,' I thought to myself as her cheeks flushed slightly, 'he had to say that?'

"Well," she snarled, "you can tell Mr. Lynch that I'd be delighted to meet him and teach him the correct way to do a Wronski Feint. Ooh, and I'll show him the meaning of reserve!"

Troy looked at me, his green eyes were showing a fair bit of fear. I mouthed, "You hit a nerve," and he grimaced. He ran a perfectly tanned hand through his blonde hair as Ginny continued her rant. "Ooh, and you tell him that if I ever meet him, I'll practically fly circles around him with a snitch in each hand! Argh! I fucking hate Puddlemere!"

I laughed and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, Ginny!" She gave me a withering glare that I met with an even more ferocious one. When she backed down, I finished, "Alex has been wanting to spend time with his Ginny-whinny." She blanched at the nickname. "How about you nip over to the house, grab his broom, get him from Padma, and give those flying lessons that you've been wanting to give him?"

Ginny nodded and smiled quite excitedly. "All right! I'll drop him back by before dinner!" As she walked by Troy, she curtsied and said, "It was very nice to meet you, Mr. Troy. Do send Aidan my best wishes."

With that, she was gone. He let out a breath that I hadn't notched he was holding. "You okay?" I asked with a faint smile playing on my lips.

"Is she always like that?"

I couldn't help but laugh. "God no! She's actually quite pleasant. You just two extremely wrong things too close together." His eyebrows rose again, so I elaborated, "You happened to say 'the girl that could apparently flatten him.' She doesn't like her gender being brought into things. You also brought up the reserves thing."

"She's touchy?"

"Wouldn't you be?" I countered. "She's such a better seeker than Harley. She knows it, and he knows it. Ginny Weasley should have been on a pro-team when she was fifteen."

"Aye. I saw her scrimmage against the Wasps. She is spectacular."

I nodded in agreement. She really was the best bloody seeker on our side of the Atlantic. She flew with an unparalleled grace and precision. She had a 97 percent accuracy rate when it came to the game. As much as I loved Puddlemere, I'd been trying to get her to leave the team for quite a long time. Unlike me, however, she had a hard time letting go of the stability in her life.

"But, I actually came here for more than this lovely chat and the money," Troy said, then pulling my from my thoughts.

"Oh?" I questioned.

"Yeah, Coach asked me to invite you 'round to practice this afternoon."

"Ugh!" I proclaimed in disgust.

"No, it isn't about the healing thing! He wants you to be there when he unveils the practice uniform. He's extremely pleased with them."

"Oh. . ." Apparently, oh had become one of my most used words. Ever. "Er. . . sure. When is your practice?"

He looked down at his watch, "I was late five minutes ago."

I gasped. "I'm so sorry! Here, let me close up the shop," I waved my wand and the doors and windows snapped shut and locked. "And fix my hair!" Another wave of the wand found my hair pulled halfway back with a few curls framing my face. "Ooh! And these clothes!" My track suit was soon magically replaced by a smart pinstriped skirt, a white tank top with a plunging neckline, a pair of sensible pumps, and a plain, but nice, set of black robes.

He looked down at his watch again. "Three minutes, wow. That's the fastest that I've ever had a woman in and out of her clothing."

Gah. What a cheeky bastard. However, I was unable to comment on his extreme cheekiness because he had grabbed my arm tightly and apparated. Buh. I hated side-along apparating. I didn't dwell on that, though. I was soon too preoccupied with cursing Adrian Troy to care about side-along apparition.

The cheeky son of a bitch had apparated us into the men's changing room in Ireland's practice stadium. I jerked my arm from his grasps and raised my hand. He flinched, as did many of his team mates, and I grinned in satisfaction. Instead of slapping him, as he was more than likely expecting, I pointed my index finger in a threatening manner.

"You are a cheeky bastard, Adrian Troy! If you'll please excuse me, I am going to go into the hallway where I won't be surrounded by half-naked men!" I exclaimed and started toward the door.

I was stopped by a strong hand. It belonged to the keeper, Thomas Ryan. "No disrespect, ma'am," he started with a friendly smile, "but it is either us half-naked or a bunch of teen girls half-naked." I scowled, and his smiled widened. "Beside, we're only half-naked because Coach hasn't given us our new robes yet."

I nodded before walking to and leaning against a wall, which was as far away from the men as possible. "Speaking of the robes," Aidan Lynch started as he stretched, the muscles on his back tightened and relaxed with the simple action, "I heard that the girl that designed them is quite the dish."

"How would you know?" Thomas asked as I peeked at Aidan in admiration. I felt like I was a school girl again, or something to that effect. I knew the heat I was feeling wasn't of the same level as the heat in the room.

"Well, Ryan," he replied with a cocky smirk, "she was all Troy talked about earlier when he came back to the apartment."

A small smile formed on my face as I noticed Adrian blush and sneak a glance at me. I wasn't the only to notice, apparently, because a second later Daniel Connolly laughed and asked, "Embarrassed Troy? Who's the lass anyway?"

I couldn't help but smirk as he struggled over his words. In a moment of generosity, I stepped up for him and said, "I'm the dish that designed and made your robes. I'm Ka. . ."

"Katie Bell!" I could have heard and recognized that screech from a mile away. What the Hell was she doing here?

"Cho!" I feigned shock and happiness. In all honesty, I hated the girl. She played Cedric, Oliver and Harry before moving on to Seamus. "What are you doing here?" I asked as she hugged me, only scantily clad in a bra and panties.

"I'm the reserve seeker!" She exclaimed, and I began to wonder how I had managed to miss that little fact while I was making the practice robes.

"Oh. Well, congratulations!" I didn't care.

"Thanks!" She giggled.

Godric, what an airhead. I was saved from further conversation with the girl as a man in his late forties emerged from an office with a box held securely under his arm. I smiled at the label on it: Bell Inc.

"All right, listen here!" He exclaimed with an authority that could match that of Molly Weasley. All of the eyes in the room turned to him. "I've got your new practice robes here, and they're one of a kind. They're designed for maximum flexibility, but at the same time, they're sleek, new, and stylish.

"Come on, Coach! They're practice robes!" Thomas exclaimed. His statement was followed by a few snickers. They wouldn't appreciate the robes until they had practiced in them.

"They're also weather resistant," I put in, which was a development that only I had achieved. "They're cool in the heat, hot in the cool, and dry in the rain. They adjust to your body temperature every time you put them on."

"Oh, Miss Bell, Troy failed to inform me that you were here."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course he did, Jeff. The men were too busy being cheeky with me to inform you that I had arrived."

Jeff McCready shot his team a disapproving look before turning back to me. "My apologies, Miss Bell," I gave him a look, and he corrected himself, "Katie. Honestly, though, they're pigs, and I'm sorry that you had to meet any of them."

"Oh, it is perfectly okay. I'm used to dealing with pigs. Anthony Jones, remember?"

"Hey," a female voice called, "Anthony Jones is my cousin!"

"Don't care," I snapped before addressing Jeff once again, "its Lynch that you're going to have to look after."

"Hey!" Aidan exclaimed, "I didn't do anything to you!"

Jeff shot the seeker a warning glance and asked, "Why do I need to watch out for Lynch?"

Adrian snickered when he realized what I was talking about. "Oi," he exclaimed in Aidan's direction, "I met Ginny Weasley today. She's fiery that one!"

Aidan was suddenly very enthralled. "You met Ginny Weasley? **The** Ginny Weasley?"

The excited rush that swept through the room shocked me. Ginny really was respected in the quidditch circuit. . . Adrian was speaking again. "Yes," he said, "and she has it in for you."

"What!"

I almost felt sorry for the poor bloke. _Almost._ Instead of pampering him, though, I let him have exactly what Ginny would have wanted him to have. "If I could, Mr. Lynch. . ." He calmed from his hysterics, and I continued, "Her exact words were, "Well, you can tell Mr. Lynch that I'd be delighted to meet him," " Aidan's face lit up momentarily, but I had to continue, " "and teach him the correct way to do a Wronski Feint. Ooh, I'll show him the meaning of reserve! Ooh, and you tell him that if I ever meet him, I'll practically fly circles around him with a snitch in each hand." Er... she's a bit harsh, but she did send you well wishes before she left!"

"She hates me?" He questioned in a voice that sounded remarkably crushed.

A slick red-headed woman whispered to me, "I'm Charlotte Moran, nice to meet you; yada, yada." I nodded, and she continued on, "You see, the thing is, Aidan fancies Ginny Weasley."

"I do not!" He snapped, a faint blush crept up his neck. I smiled inwardly. He did fancy Ginny. Boy, this day had been full of surprises.

"Back to the robes! I'm sure Katie will tell you more about Ginny hating you later, Aidan. These robes are state of the art, and you'll appreciate them much more after a practice in them." He opened the box and started passing robes to his team. "Dress," he commanded before taking the box back to his office.

Seven of the seventeen team members were woman. The women left through a door on the left that connected the two locker rooms. After a couple of seconds, I coughed and said, "I'll just nip over there and make sure their robes fit nicely. I'll be back over here in a few minutes."

I raced to the women's locker room to see that they were all dressing themselves without a problem. As I walked through the locker room making small adjustments, the women complimented me on the practice robes. Charlotte even went as far as to say, "Merlin, they're so comfortable! I feel like I'm naked! I'm not, though, right?"

I laughed and shrugged. After a few more questions, the women insisted that the robes were perfect and demanded that I go to check on the men. When I did go to check on the men, flexing muscles was all that could be seen. With a roll of my eyes, I went about making the needed alterations.

Adrian Troy was the last to get his robes altered. When I did go to alter his robes, he had quite the surprising thing to say. "Listen, Katie, I know we just met this morning, but I like you. I want to get to know you better."

"Uh. . ." My mouth had to be on the floor.

"I'd like to go out with you just as friends, of course. Erm, could we go for dinner tomorrow?"

Oh. My. God. Adrian Troy (sex and quidditch God) just asked me for a date. Tomorrow night? Wednesday; I didn't have plans. "Sure," I replied, but I knew there was something that I had to be forgetting. . .


	6. A Very Weasley Initiation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: So... I left a cliffhanger for nearly five months (I did update in February, right?) Basically, I'm here to grovel at your feet. I'm terribly sorry that it took so long. Second semester was filled with AP History, College Prep Tests, State Writing Tests, State History Tests, etc. etc. etc. I am, however, back into my writing mode, and I'll (hopefully) be updating a lot more often. **

**Edited: 07-02-07**

**  
International Delight  
Chapter Six: A Very Weasley Initiation **

The hot sun beat down on my back as I slipped through the woods. I had been at the Weasley's for a week, and quite honestly, I was getting tired of the constant chatter that took place in the house. There was never a lull in the conversation, and I couldn't stand that. I passed by the hot springs at the edge of the Weasley property and headed towards a secluded pond that I had found the second day I was here.

Upon arriving at the pond, I checked to make sure that no one was around (the pond was quite secluded, and I was sure that no one else knew of it, but still, you could never be too cautious with Fred and George running around.) Once I was positive that no one was around, I stripped to my knickers. After careful consideration, the white garments joined the pile of neatly folded clothing at the edge of the pond. For some reason, I felt free when I swam naked, and the fact that my knickers would become see through after being drenced in water propelled me towards the decision of swimming naked.

I dipped my toe in to the pond to find that it was delightfully cool but not cold. With a smile that could rival that of the Cheshire Cat (from the muggle tale _Alice in Wonderland_,) I slipped into the water. My smile faded, however, when I heard devilish snickering behind me. I spun to see Fred and George waving my clothing about in the air. Each of them grasping an article of my underclothing caused me to blush beet red.

"Fred! George!" I screeched in a very unlady like manner. Each boy threw me a ridiculously cheeky smile before tossing my clothing into the pond and running off with my underclothes.

As I climbed from the water (after having fished out my soggy pants, shirt, socks and shoes,) I cursed in a manner that would have brought a blush to even Fred or George's faces. It didn't occur to me that some other people might know about the pond (I mean, Hell, Fred and George had probably just followed me. . . the perverts) until I heard a low rumble of laughter behind me. My cheeks flushed bright red. I knew that laughter. I could place it anywhere.

"Charlie," I croaked.

"I didn't know," he began while chuckling softly, "that I wasn't the only one to come out here for naked swims."

"Merlin," I muttered. I jumped in shock when I felt his breath on my shoulder. _**Don't look over your shoulder, Bell. Don't you dare look over your shoulder.**_

"Katie, what are you doing out here, and why in Godric's name aren't you wearing clothes?"

My breath hitched in my throat as he began to slowly rub his hands up and down my sides. I attempted to reply, but only a strangled croak escaped my lips. "Ah," he said as his hands moved to rest on my thighs, "you were hoping that I would find you out here. . . completely naked."

"No! I. . ." My protest caught in my throat as he kissed the side of my neck gently.

"Oh, it's okay," Charlie started quiestly as his hands found a resting place on my flat stomach. I gasped when his thumbs began to stroke my midriff, slowly drifting lower. "I understand completely how a sixteen year old girl would pine after a handsome young fellow such as myself."

"Charlie, really, I. . ." My breathing faltered. When I could breathe again, it was at an irregular pace.

"Oh, don't worry about it, love, I'll make it good for you." I blushed as I felt him moving behind me to loosen his restricting clothing.

I awoke with a moan. I had been fucked that day, plain and simple. It was a day that would bore into my memory for the rest of my life. Charlie Weasley had taken my virginity, and a girl never forgets something like that.

I could feel my face flush at the thought as I pulled myself from bed. Breakfast was calling for me, and I needed a cup of coffee something fierce. With a sigh, I pulled on a dressing gown and started the short trek to my kitchen. Alex, myself, and Krystal (when she wasn't away at school) lived in a three bedroom cottage on the Great Lake. The house was a short walk to Hogwarts or Hogmeade (through a small wooded area.) I had a large clearing behind the house where I kept my workshop. It was convienent, but it was always hard to explain why my parents had owned the land.

_"Katie, I have a question," Fred had once said to me when I was a sixth year. We had just gone to Hogsmeade, and I had taken everyone to meet my parents._

_"Shoot."_

_"Why do your parents own land that's basically on Hogwarts grounds?"_

_My face turned crimson in a few short seconds. With a cough, I replied, "It was granted to the family by Godric Gryffindor."_

_George's face had lit up like a Christmas tree. " Why?"_

_With a deeper blush, I said, "Because Ginerva Bell was a loose woman."_

_"Wait! Are you saying that. . ."_

_"One of my ancestors had an affair with Godric Gryffindor, and he gave the family land on the grounds? Why, yes. . . yes, I am."_

_"Wait! How do you know that?" Lee asked. I thought the story sounded unbelievable, too._

_"Ginerva Bell's diaries are passed on to the oldest girl in the family when she turns sixteen."_

I smiled at the memory. Sometimes I was enthralled that Ginerva Bell had been a loose woman; our grounds were beautiful. At other times, however, I hated being the only person on the grounds. Krystal and I hadn't grown up with children close by to play with, and Alex wouldn't have children to play with either. I shrugged the thought off and began making bacon sandwiches. Alex loved them.

After a few minutes of cooking, I heard a sleepy little voice from behind me ask, "Mommy, what are you doing?"

"I'm making breakfast, love."

"But why?"

I turned to look at him. His blonde hair stuck up in an odd angle, and at some point in the night, he had lost one of his white socks. With a small smile, I turned back to the cooking. He really was the highlight of my day. Each and every day, that is.

"I thought you would like to have breakfast before you go to Padma's. You usually don't mind."

"Mommy!" His voice held a tone of urgency.

I flipped the bacon. "Yes?" I drawled.

"I'm going to Mo-mo's today! Can't we have breakfast there?"

My world came crashing down around me. I had completely forgotten about Wednesday with the Weasleys. Oh, Hell. What was I going to tell Adrian? I could see myself telling him that I had to cancel because I had an engagement to tend to that was far more important than he.

**"Adrian, I'm sorry. . ."**

**He would cock his head to the side, and he would throw me a sexy smile. "What's wrong, Katie?"**

**"Adrian, I was really looking forward to dinner, but. . ."**

**His sexy tanned face would morph into a slight scowl. "But what?"**

**"But I have a dinner with the Weasley family!"**

**"You're standing my up for a family? One that isn't even yours!"**

**My eyes would water, and I would reply (in a near sob, mind you,) "But Molly's been through so much! I can't not go to dinner! She would take it the wrong way."**

**Adrian would begin to walk away slowly. "You could have just told me that you didn't want to go out with me, Katie. I would have understood." I would watch silently as he walked from my life forever.**

My my my. . . The Adrian from my daydream had quite the nice bum.

I shook my head at the thought of Adrian Troy's bum. The thought wouldn't help me solve my problem. I couldn't very well cancel on Molly! She would probably think that I wasn't eating and would check me into St. Mungo's for anorexia. Or something else completely ridiculous like that.

The bacon was soon removed from the stove. There was no use in cooking it if Alex was adament on eating breakfast at Molly's. I sent Alex to dress and sat at the table with my head in my hands. How did I get myself into predicaments like these?

My self pity was short lived. An owl was tapping at my window. Godric! I would never get a moment of solace. I allowed the owl into my kitchen and took the letter from its outstreched leg. I offered the owl the half-finished bacon, and it (surprisingly) ate it. Once the owl had eaten and Alex had returned, I ushered all living creatures from the house.

When Alex and I entered the kitchen of the Burrow, Bill threw me an odd look. Alex hugged Molly, and we were both soon sitting at the table. "Morning, Bill," I quipped.

"Katie... do you realize that you're in your bedclothing?"

I cocked an eyebrow at him as many more Weasley's shuffled into the room. "Uh, yes, I know that, Bill."

In true Weasley fashion, his face turned a bright shade of magenta. He was about to reply when Ginny entered in a complete stage of fury. She threw a ripped piece of parchment on the table and pointed to me.

"You. Go upstairs and put some of my clothes on. You're coming with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Just do it!" Normally, I wouldn't have taken that tone from Ginny, but she was seriously upset. Without a question, I rose from my seat and headed to her room. After a few moments, I raced back down the stairs in a pair of loose fitting jeans, a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of trainers, which were all at least half a size to a size too big for me. I noticed Ginny slipping the ripped parchment into her pocket.

"I'll bring her back for dinner," Ginny spat before pulling me from the house. Before I could even begin to object, she had side along apparated the pair of us.

My stomach sank as I saw the gigantic stadium looming before me. "Ginny," I started apprehensively, "why are we here?"

Ginny didn't answer. She merely led me into the building. The only thing that could have made the situation any worse was seeing a person that I couldn't stand. As my luck would have it, Cho Chang happened to meet us at the door.

"Katie! Ginny! Oh, wow, what a surprise! I bet you're here to see McCready! I'll take you right to him."

Ginny began to protest, but I held up my hand to silence her. If Ginny had a problem that caused her to angrily apparate us to the Irish team's practice stadium, Jeff McCready could more than help her solve it. Cho led us to the practice rooms, and I could practically hear the questions rolling about in the players' minds.

Ginny stormed into McCready's office, and I hung back. I did not want to be in that room when she blew up. I liked having eardrums, thank you very much. Ginny was in a state where she was fit to kill.

"What's going on?" Someone asked from behind me.

"I don't know. She rushed down from bed this morning and demanded that I get dressed," I said absent mindedly.

"Wow. . . I thought you two were close, but I wouldn't have guessed that you were together. It breaks my heart."

I smiled. Adrian Troy was more than likely smirking and leaning against the row of lockers that were the closest to him. Without turning to face him, I jauntily repled, "Well, you know, after having men stomp on your heart for years, its only logical to move onto your best friend, you know?"

"What about poor Miss Weasley? Did she have no say in this little arrangement."

"Ginny," I paused as her screaming escalated and McCready slammed the door shut, "hates men."

"So, if that's the case, how are the intimate times?"

"Out of sight, my man, out of sight."

Adrian's laughter rumbled beind me in a deep bravado. I turned to see that his face was a delightful shade of pink. He smiled widely before asking, "Did you get my owl this morning?"

"Oh! I left it lying on the table this morning before I left for Molly's with Alex."

His entire face dropped. I noticed his fists clench at his side. "Alex?"

I was about to answer when McCready opened the door to his office. I turned my attention to him. "Aidan Lynch! I swear to Merlin that I'll kill you if you're not in my office in five seconds!"

My attention was pulled toward the office as Aidan quickly approaced. My mouth dropped when Ginny slapped him smartly across the face. She grew steadily redder as she calmly said, "If I ever receive such a degrading owl from you ever again, I will kill you. I did not fight beside three of the greatest war heroes of all time to be called an "_insolent young girl that does not know her way around a quidditch pitch and wouldn't bother if Harry Potter hadn't been a seeker_." Harry Potter fought so your sorry ass could live, and I was right there beside him. You're a ridiculous excuse of a boy."

I quickly ran to subdue Ginny. If Aidan had brought her lost fiance into the equation, it was likely that he would not live to see another day. With an apologetic smile to Jeff McCready, I led Ginny from the locker room.

Once we were clear of the building, I apparated us to my cottage. Ginny needed peace and quiet. The second we entered the house, Ginny collapsed into my arms and sobbed.

Adrian Troy's reaction to my mention of Alex's name was the last thing on my mind.


	7. Fate is an Elegant, Cold Hearted Whore

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: Thanks to my awesome reviewers. I'm really glad that this is still being accepted with open minds. I'm sorry that the first bit of the last chapter was a bit confusing, I'll try to be more clear from this point on. This chapter is coming out fairly quickly, and I'm well into the writing of Chapter Eight. I hope you enjoy.**

**P.S. (Can you post script an A/N?) The title of the chapter is a line from the song **_**Polygraph, Right Now**_** by The Spill Canvas.**

Edited: 07-02-07

**  
International Delight  
Chapter Seven: Fate is an Elegant, Cold Hearted Whore**

Ginny was appeased by nine-thirty. I had her calmed down and reading one of Krystal's trashy harlequin romance novels. With a content sigh, I sat at the kitchen table and pulled Adrian's letter. . . Well, scratch that, it was more like a few sloppily scribbled sentences on a spare bit of parchment, toward me.

**Katie,**

**Hey, I just wanted to write before practice. I need to know what time to meet you this evening. Owl me back and let me know.**

**Thanks,**

**A. Troy**

My stomach plummeted to my feet. I hadn't thought to tell Adrian about my little predicament when I had seen him earlier. . . It was a sticky situation.

I pulled a spare bit of parchment from the stack in the middle of the table. A muggle ink pen was buried in the mess of parchment, so I grabbed it and automatically began chewing on the cap. It took me a few minutes before I could figure out what to write.

**Adrian,**

**I'm having a few problems with tonight. I may have figured out a way to solve the problems (or work my way around them.) Could you please meet me at the small wizarding apothecary in Ottery St. Catchpole around six? Owl me back to let me know.**

**Sincerely,**

**K. Bell**

I read over the note. With a sigh, I rolled it up and tied it with a small piece of twine. A whistle left my lips, and a tawny owl appeared in the window. I beckoned it over, and it landed on the table.

"Hey, Newton," I said as I rubbed the owl's head affectionately. "I need you to take this to Adrian Troy. He will probably be at the Irish team's practice stadium. Hey, break a leg?" Newton snapped his beak at me, and I allowed him to snap the letter up. "Don't come back until he's written a reply."

At about noon, Newton returned back to the house. He dropped a small bit of torn parchment in front of me. All it read was, "No."

My jaw dropped. No! Why in the Hell did he say no? He was the one that asked for the bloody date in the first place. My fists clenched. I had just slammed my fists down upon the table when Ginny entered the room. "Kate, what's wrong?"

With a tight lipped frown, I replied, "I think every member of the Irish National Team has a Nimbus 2000 shoved up his or her ass."

"Kate, what happened?"

"Adrian Troy asked me to have dinner tonight. I told him yes before thinking about dinner with you guys. I just owled him and asked him to meet me in Ottery St. Catchpole at six. He owled this back to me." I shoved the piece of parchment toward her.

Ginny picked it up and read it with a confused glance. "No? Why would he say no?"

My resolve snapped, and a tear trickled its way down my cheek. "It's because I'm worthless. Seamus was right, I'm a poor excuse for a woman!"

Ginny's eyes widened in shock. "Katie, don't you ever say that! You're a beautiful woman and one of the kindest and sweetest people I know."

Sobs shook through my body, and Ginny rushed to comfort me. "Gin, I'm not good enough for love. Alex will grow up without a father figure in his life! Godric! He'll probably be gay!"

Ginny giggled a bit. She squeezed me in a tight hug. "Katie, don't ever let any man let you feel like this. Seamus made you feel used up and worthless, but you're not. You're so much more than that. You may not ever find anyone that you want to let in your life, but that doesn't mean that you're worthless. It just means that no one's good enough for your and Alex. Alex won't be gay, either; you work in Quidditch."

A small smile filtered its way through my frown. "Ginny, why are you so good at this?"

She sat herself in the chair next to mine. With a heavy sigh, she said, "Katie, it took a lot of Molly on Ginny therapy to get me where I am today. Sure, I'm still fragile when someone brings Harry up in a negative or offensive light, but I'm better than I ever have been before. I have a will to live, and I know that I can date someone if I need to. I'm not afraid of men, and I know not to let men treat me in ways that I should not be treated."

With a small tearful cough, I said, "Aidan Lynch, anyone?"

Ginny grinned and reached over to ruffle my hair. "Something like that, yeah."

With a small smile, I pulled Ginny into a hug. For the rest of the day, she helped me work on the Irish team's robes. At six, we left for dinner.

--

After a few days of hard work, I had the robes finished for the team. I chose a Sunday when the team wouldn't be present to take the robes to McCready. Consequently, I had Alex to bring along. Because of that, along with the large bulk of the robes, I had to ride the Knight Bus.

Unfortunately for me, it seemed that every quidditch player and his brother of the greater United Kingdom area were riding the bus that day. Many players didn't recognize me, but among the ones that did was Gwenog Jones. She actually did happen to be travelling with her brother, Anthony Jones, on that fine Sunday.

"Anthony," I heard her whisper, "is that Katie Bell?"

I flinched and pulled Alex closer to me. My legs also clenched tightly to the box that was between them on the floor. "Who?" He asked in his airy and arrogant tone as he flipped his wavy brown hair.

"The Medi-Witch that dropped from your team?"

I could feel his ice blue eyes boring into the back of my head. "How should I know? All I see is a mop of nasty, curly hair. . . Well, actually, yes, on that thought, I do believe that is the bitch that fucked up my nose."

My mouth gaped. Quite frankly, although I wouldn't admit it to anyone else, I thought that his nose was perfect. Apparently, I wasn't the only person that thought that. "Shut up, you self-loving twit. You can't tell that your nose was even broken," my stomach dropped when I heard his voice. Adrian Troy _would _have been the one to defend my honor.

"You see that, Troy? That bump wasn't there before she allegedly fixed my nose!" I could see, in my mind's eye, Anthony pointing to the place on his nose that he had always complained about.

Adrian cleared his throat. In a throaty sort of voice, he spat, "She wouldn't have had to fix your nose had you not been jackassing around at the Puddlemere game, Jones."

My face flushed. Troy was setting us up for bad publicity that I didn't need. The bus careened to a near stop in front of the Irish team's stadium. I cleared my throat and stood to my feet. I hoisted my box up and allowed Alex to hook his fingers through one of my belt loops before turning slightly toward the two red faced men.

"That will be enough, Mr. Troy. I do not need you defending me. Mr. Jones, I am more than sorry that you are not satisfied with my work. If you like, I can always re-break your nose. To set it properly, you know. If you want to take me up on the offer, owl me, and I'll start charming a bludger for you."

I turned from the men and walked to the front of the bus. Alex and I patiently waited for it to come to a **complete** stop. We scrambled from the bus and started the short walk to the front of the building. I ignored Adrian's constant throat clearing.

Alex began to tug at my sleeve. It is what he did anytime that he wanted my attention. "Yes?" I asked.

"That man behind us keeps making funny noises."

"Don't worry about it, honey. He just swallowed a toad at breakfast and now it wants out." I heard Adrian sigh before Alex broke into peals of laughter.

"Katie, can I at least help you with your box?"

"No."

He sighed in exasperation. "Will you at least talk to me?"

"No."

"Is that all you ever say?"

"No," I replied as the door before me opened on its own accord. I wondered if he was getting the reference I was making to his less than satisfying reply from a few days ago.

As Alex and I stepped though, Adrian asked, "Will you at least say one other thing to me?"

"No. Excuse me, may I please be escorted to Mr. McCready's office, Miss?"

"Mr. Troy could take you, Miss Bell."

With a roll of my eyes, I said, "I'd prefer not to be left alone with Mr. Troy. I could make the walk by myself, but I'm sure that is frowned upon by the big man upstairs."

"It's a travesty! Talent like that should not be wasted upon Americans! Why would a player like that go to an American team?" I heard Jeff McCready angrily yell.

McCready rounded the corner with an American wizarding paper in his hands. He glanced up to see Adrian, Alex and I staring at him in wonder. "Bell! You're here! Good, maybe you can make some sense of this for me!"

"Sir, I have no idea what you're yelling about."

McCready thrust the paper at me. I shoved it aside and said, "I'll be more than happy to discuss it with you after you've taken these robes and paid me."

"Have you completely finished?"

"Yes, sir."

He nodded and beckoned for me to follow him. "Get that box, Troy."

"Really, I'll get it," I tried to insist.

"Nonsense. Troy, get that box. We're going to the stands. You take that to my office and bring Miss Bell her payment."

Once we were seated in the stands, McCready looked from me to Alex. "What's your name, lad?"

"Alexander James Bell."

"And your relation to Miss Katie?"

Alex's eyes flashed confusion. "What, sir?"

"How do you know Katie?"

"Oh!" His face brightened with a smile. "She's my mommy!"

I heard a slight gagging noise from behind us, and I didn't have to turn around to know that Adrian was behind us with his eyes practically bugging from his head. "I wasn't aware that you are married, Mrs. Bell."

"It's Miss, and I'm not. Alex was given my last name."

"Do you date his father?"

"No, Mr. McCready, I do not date his father. I do not date at all. Men are chauvinistic pigs. No offense."

McCready had the humility to hang his head. Adrian approached with an envelope. In a choked voice, he said, "Here, Coach."

"Thank you, Troy. You may have a seat, or you may wait for me in my office."

Adrian sat. I ruffled Alex's hair and pulled his body close to mine. McCready handed the envelope to me and said, "That is merely a paper indicating that I have had the money transferred to your account."

"Thank you."

He nodded and handed me the American newspaper from earlier. "Now, is there any way that you can explain that?"

The headline read, "Puddlemere Reserve Seeker, Ginny Weasley, Traded to America!" America! When the Hell was Ginny going to tell me that we were going to America? I hated America. . . Too many cars and overpriced clothing.

"No."


	8. She Loves Salting My Wounds

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Notes: I'm not usually one for posting two chapters in one day, but hey, this one's short. Also, one of my reviewers, imakeeper, mentioned it being his birthday. So, as a birthday present to imakeeper, here's chapter eight. Oh, and Chapter Nine has been started.**

**P.S. The chapter title is once again from the song **_**Polygraph, Right Now**_** by The Spill Canvas.**

Edited: 07-02-07

**  
International Delight  
**_**Chapter Eight: She Loves Salting My Wounds**_****

"Ms. Bell, is it true that you will be working in the United States solely because Miss Weasley here will be?" A reporter shouted at me as puffs of smoke rose in the air and camera bulbs flashed.

I waved a plume of purple smoke away from my face. "It is very true."

"Why?" Another of the reporters asked. Multiple Quick-Quote Quills poised over pads of parchment. I hated press-conferences, but they were necessary.

"I was offered jobs by thirteen different teams when I resigned from my post with the Tutshill Tornados," I began. After a sip of water, I continued, "I decided that I would like to work in a friendly environment. Once I figured out that I would have no way to determine which team would be friendly, I decided to work with a friend. The first day after my resignation from the Tornados, many teams visited me in attempts to cajole me into joining their staffs. Each time a team representative visited, I told them that I would be working wherever that Ginny was working. It just sort of stuck after that. I had been planning on going to Puddlemere, but after this, I decided to just stick with her."

After another round of photographs, a young female journalist asked, "And how do you feel about this, Miss Weasley?"

"Are you joking? My best friend is going with me to America! I'm ecstatic!"

"How does your family feel about this, Miss Weasley?"

Ginny rain a freckled hand through her ginger hair and sighed. "Mom's furious; granted, she reacted this way when BIll left for Egypt and when Charlie left for Romania. Bill is supportive, but he's worried about me dating American wizards. Bill's wife, Fleur, told me that I was a pretty girl and that I should play the fields; yes, both of them. Fred and George view this as an excellent marketing ruse; they'd love to open a few shops in the America. My niece and my nephew are upset but excited at the same time."

"And how do you think that your late father and brothers would feel?"

I could feel Ginny tense up next to me. I placed a hand on her knee and squeezed hard. After a few seconds, she calmly said, "My father would love for me to go. He was fascinated by foreign muggles. Charlie would be mad that I didn't leave Puddlemere earlier, and Ron would just want free tickets to all of my games."

The same wizard that asked Ginny of her family then turned on me. "How does your family feel about this move, Ms. Bell?"

It was my turn to run a hand through my hair. With a heavy sigh, I said, "My sister Krystal is very supportive of the decision. She merely asked me to take her to see a play on Broadway for Christmas."

"And your son?"

"Is upset that he won't get to see Molly Weasley or Padma Patil as much. He is, however, excited that we're going with Ginny. He absolutely adores her." Phew. So far, so good. I hadn't been asked anything uncomfortable. "Also, if my parents were alive, I'm sure that they'd be proud of me. They always supported every decision that I made."

My relief was short lived. After a few seconds of scribbling by Quick-Quote Quills, another female journalist asked, "How do you feel your son's father will react to the news that you're moving his son across the Atlantic?"

My teeth clenched, and my fingernails dug into my palms. I chewed on my lip for a few seconds before answering, "You know as well as I do that my child's father, if you can even call him that, has nothing to do with Alex's life. I am the sole guardian and you completely crossed the line in asking that."

"I apologize, Ms. Bell," the unknown reporter replied.

"Ms. Bell, how does your boyfriend feel about this move?" A male journalist near the back asked.

"I do not have a boyfriend, sir."

"Just last week you seemed to be rather chummy with Adrian Troy."

I began to chew on my lip. Godric, that was a bad habit. Adrian **had** created bad publicity that Sunday on the Knight Bus. That bastard! "I have never been _chummy_, as you call it, with Adrian Troy. I happened to be doing business with the Irish Team a few weeks ago, and Adrian Troy represented the team for Jeff McCready."

"What type of business?"

"That you will see at their first game."

Ginny's new American manager, Tamera Wilson cleared her throat. Tamera was a fiery black woman with a strong will and quick wit. "Excuse me," she said in her sultry alto voice, "but Miss Weasley and Ms. Bell are leaving for the United States tomorrow. Each woman would love to spend time with their families. I will allow one question more before we leave for the Weasley home."

"Miss Weasley, it is said that the American National Team may be changing around more members of their team. How do you feel about being sent to a team with such turmoil?"

Ginny shook her head in exasperation. "I am moving to America for a change and a chance to actually play. If I'm moving to a team that's having line-up problems, it will be fine by me. At least I'll be able to play, you know? It isn't about the money or the games won, it is about actually being able to play."

Tamera nodded to us, and we stood. "Thank you very much for attending," she barked at the reporters. She ushered us through a set of doors. Ginny gave her the specifics for apparating to the Burrow, and we were gone.

Upon arrival at the gate to the Burrow, we were met by Leslie, Alex, and Ronny. They were holding a banner that read, "Go Katie! Go Ginny!" I smiled warmly. Those three would never cease to make my days brighter.

"Auntie Katie!" Leslie shouted in exasperation, "I thought that you'd never get here! Auntie Krystal has been here forever."

"No, I haven't, Les. I've only been here for about thirty minutes!"

I couldn't help but run to her. I wrapped her in a tight hug. "How'd you get icy McGonagall to let you come?"

A stern voice from the doorway of the house snapped, "By leaving the Deputy Headmaster in charge and accompanying her."

My head snapped up. Oh shit, she heard me being disrespectful. "Headmistress! It wasn't necessary for you to come along, but I. . ."

"Save it, Bell. I still like you even if you are disrespectful; you don't have to brown nose me," she said in a stern tone. I fancy the idea that her tight lined lips turned up slightly at the corners. It was probably just my imagination running away with me. "And you, Miss Weasley; I dare say that I've never been as proud of a Weasley as I am of you."

Ginny's face flushed crimson. Normally, she handled compliments quite well, and it was quite out of character for her to be flushing so. I guess we all flush a little when our favorite Professor sings praise upon us. At least, I always did when Professor Flitwick said that I had done well.

"Thank you, Professor."

"Now, that isn't necessary, Miss Weasley, you may call me Minerva."

"How about Minny?" Ginny joked.

McGonagall's tone became demure. She looked at Ginny disapprovingly. "Do not push your luck, Miss Weasley."

Ginny grinned up at the aging Professor, and they headed for the door. I turned to Tamera and said, "That's our ex-Transfiguration teacher, Minerva McGonagall. This is my sister, Krystal Bell. The lovely young lady down yonder is Leslie Weasley and the young fellow hanging on to her is her cousin Ronald Weasley. . . We call him Ronny. Ah, and the dashing young man with the perfect sandy hair and beautiful green eyes would be my son, Alexander Bell."

"It's nice to meet you all. I'm Ginny's manager, Tamera Wilson."

"You're pretty, Tamera," Alex said with a bashful smile. "You have a funny way of talking, though!"

I shook my head with a small smile. With a gentle nudge on his back, I said, "Get inside, you little flirt. Leslie, do you still have that muggle game that I got you?"

"Chinese Checkers? Yeah! Do you want me to teach Alex and Ronny how to play?" Once I nodded, she raced toward the house yelling, "Hurry up! I'm going to teach you a new game! I promise that it doesn't hurt as much as Exploding Snap!"

"Cute," Tamera said with a laugh.

I nodded. They were something all right. I just didn't know if cute was one of their qualifiers. "Yeah. Tamera, if you go through the front door and keep going straight, you'll end up in the family room. You should run into someone there that you know."

"I can show her around," Krystal said with enthusiasm.

I shook my head. Krystal was tricky. She must have already known that I wanted to talk to her. "Or you could stay and have a little chat with me."

Her shoulders sagged visablely. Tamera smiled sympathetically at her before heading for the house. "So, Krys, I got an owl from Professor Vector the other day."

Professor Vector had taken over the job of Gryffindor Head of House once McGonagall had become the Headmistress. "Oh," she choked, "what'd she have to say?"

"That you're grades in Potions and Herbology are atrocious. She's concerned."

"What does that matter, Kate? Why would she care about my grades in Potions and Herbology?"

"Do you still want to be an apothecary?"

"Of course!" She defended, and her face dropped. "Oh."

"Exactly. Just watch your grades in there, okay? If you don't bring them up by the end of the term, there won't be a Broadway play for you."

"Katie!"

"I'm serious, Krys; I want to see some major improvement. Now, let's get in there before everyone eats all of the food."

As we walked the path to the front door of the Burrow, I wrapped an arm around Krystal's shoulders. "Hey, Katie?" She asked, grabbing my attention.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for caring."

I smiled widely. I ruffled her hair before replying, "It's why I'm here, love."


	9. I've Been Sleeping With Ghosts

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Notes: I intended for this to be out on the first. I, however, was travelling on that day. I like this chapter... because, well, a favorite character of mine is introduced into the story. So yeah... This is for Lia06. Happy late Birthday.**

**P.S. If anyone can name the reference to a song I made in here, I'll let them choose something that happens. Whatever they like, within reason, that is. Oh yeah, and I'm so sorry that these have been so horribly short. I have a few weeks of camp coming up, but I'll try to update at least once.**

Edited: 07-02-07  


**  
International Delight  
**_**Chapter Nine: I've Been Sleeping With Ghosts**_****

The Atlantic rushed below us at a breakneck speed. I held a new respect for Muggles. The way they got through life without magic was absolutely commendable. Witches and Wizards have had the ability to fly for centuries, but, still, the Muggles were not daunted. It may have taken them hundreds of years, but they still developed the ability to fly! And Muggles could transport hundreds of people at a time! It truly was amazing. Arthur Weasley was right; Muggles **were** fascinating.

With a sigh, I turned to Ginny. She was next to the aisle and a little sleeping boy with blonde hair separated us. "What's wrong, Kate?" She asked with a concerned frown.

"Why are we going to America, Ginny?" I asked as Alex stirred between us. After a few intense seconds of staring to make sure that he was fine, I turned my eyes back on Ginny. Our eyes locked. Green met brown, and she ran a hand through her hair, which was a nervous habit of hers.

I smiled. I could tell that it unnerved her. "It's for the chance to actually play," she replied simply.

"Excuse my French, but that's bullshit, Ginny. I know playing if big for you, but there's something more. I can see it in your eyes. Now why don't you stop lying to me, your best friend, and just tell me what's going on?"

"Can you keep a secret?" Her big brown eyes shone with. . . Well, I couldn't really tell what, but they shone none the less!

Oh, here was the good stuff! "Of course I can keep a secret, Gin."

"I sort of met someone."

"Really!" Godric! This was quite the development for Ginny. After the incident with Aidan, I didn't think that Ginny would ever look at another man for the rest of her life.

"No." Mirth. Her eyes were shining with mirth. Ginny always found a way to trick me into believing stupid stuff. With a sigh, she took on a serious tone and said, "Katie, I just want a chance to start over. I've been sleeping with ghosts, okay? I want to go somewhere where I won't always be reminded of the war and Harry."

"Ginny, do you really think this is going to work?"

She shrugged and brushed her hair from her eyes. "How the Hell should I know? If it doesn't, do you want to start a rock group with me?"

"Only if we're called The Crotchless Panties," I said with a completely serious tone.

"I. . . uh. . . well," Ginny spluttered helplessly. "Are you serious?"

"Yes."

Ginny gasped. "Really?"

I laughed, "No!"

"Katie, you're incorrigible!"

"Carpe diem, Gin," I said as I leaned back and closed my eyes. "Carpe diem."

"How does that apply to this situation?"

I shrugged and breathed in deeply. "I don't know, Ginny. It just sounded good."

After that, I must have drifted to sleep. The next thing I could remember was Ginny shaking me awake. "Katie, wake the Hell up!"

"No," I mumbled before turning my head away from her. I was very sleepy, and the air plane's seat happened to be very very comfortable.

"Don't worry about it, Ginny. Bell obviously does not want to see me," a very familiar voice from my past muttered.

"You have to teach me how to do that, Ginny," I muttered before yawning. I didn't turn, nor did I open my eyes. "You sounded just like Oliver there. Clever ruse, but I'm too tired to talk. Wake me up when we get to the airport."

"Bell, get up," Ginny demanded in her Oliver voice.

I sighed, "Ginny, stop that. I don't feel like remembering the asshole that put me in the hospital wing for a week."

"I told you I was sorry about that! I was tossing the copy of _Hogwarts; A History_ at Angelina! She just ducked in time for it to smack you in that thick head of yours."

My heart rate sky rocketed. There was no way in Hell that Ginny could know such minute details of that encounter. My head snapped to the side, and my eyes popped open. And there he was, Oliver Wood, standing before me in all of his former glory.

Oliver Wood, the extraordianry quidditch capatin. The Scottish heart throb. My one and only when I was fourteen, although I never told him. Seeing Oliver Wood standing there was like a blessing. He had abruptly disappeared from my life when I was almost eighteen, and I truly thought that I would never see him again. I only wrote for a year before figuring out that he would never write back. Oh, and he was a bastard of the highest order.

Oliver smiled warmly at me, and I abruptly turned away. "Ginny," I mumbled, "next time you wake me, would you please make sure that there is a legitimate reason?" Granted, all blessings held hidden curses.

"Katie," Ginny gasped in surprise. Her surprise was not completely unfounded. I had never acted as childish as I just had.

A heavy sigh escaped Oliver's lips, and, in my mind's eye, I could see him chewing on his lip. (Yes, I picked that insufferable habit up from that twit.) "Don't worry about it, Ginny. She doesn't want to talk to me, and I can't say that I blame her. I'll just see you ladies later."

"Bye, Oliver."

Once he had adequate time to leave, I turned to face Ginny. "What did he mean he'd see us later?"

"Well. . ." Ginny stalled. She cleared her throat nervously.

"Answer me!"

"He's the new keeper on the team, Katie."

My heart sank to my knees. Oh, this was spectacular. Not only was I moving an ocean away from all of the people I loved, but I was also going to be forced to be around a man that had refused my friendship. Somehow, the rejection of my friendship by Oliver hurt me more than the rejection of Alex by Seamus. I couldn't explain it, but his friendship had meant the world to me when I was younger.

When I was in St. Mungo's during my seventh year, he didn't bother to visit me. Apparently, even Charlie had stopped by to offer my parents condolences. Granted, Oliver and I had never had sex. My face grew hot at the thought. I really had to stop thinking about Charlie. It only hurt me. I sighed. I hated men. With a deep fiery passion. Especially quidditch players and Irish men.

"Ladies and gentlemen; the plane will be landing in five minutes at the McGhee Tyson Airport. Please buckle your seat belts."

With a sigh, I woke Alex and helped him buckle. My belt was soon buckled, and I began to chew on my lip. When I realized what I was doing, I scoffed disgustedly. Merlin! Screw chewing on my lip!

"Mommy, are you okay?"

I shook my head. "Honey, one day you'll be a man."

He looked at me in confusion. "Mommy," he asked, "is that a bad thing?"

"Men can do terrible things."

"Katie, stop it!" Ginny scolded. "They can't all be bad."

"Yes," I said simply as the airplane touched down, "they can."

"Mommy. . ." Alex started in uncertainty. His green eyes shone in confusion, and he clearly wanted to ask a question. The plane touched down, and the cabin shook momentarily. Once the plane was stabilized, he asked, "Why doesn't Leslie have a daddy?"

I cocked my head to the side. Why in the world would he ask that? "Well, honey, her daddy passed away."

"What does that mean?" He asked after we were told we could start exiting the plane.

I grabbed our carry on bag and sighed. Did he have to pick an airplane to have this conversation? As we started to walk from the plane to the airport, I replied, "Leslie's daddy is in the same place as Grandma and Grandpa."

"Oh." We were standing by the baggage exchange when he asked, "Mommy, why don't I have a daddy?"


	10. First Impressions

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: First and foremost... dodges pitchforks, puppies, and spoons I'm so incredibly sorry that I took so long to update. I could make excuses, but how would that help? **_**Reviewers reply, "It wouldn't."**_** Exactly. So, I'm just going to beg for forgiveness and offer you guys a chapter with my love attached. Congrats to TheBrassPotato for getting the song right. It was **_**Astronauts**_** by Something Corporate. **_**Cavanaugh Park **_**was in there, too, but I don't think I mentioned something in the chapter. However, I will not be able to place what she requested into this chapter. I will try to have it in the next. Anyway, here's the next instalment of International Delight.**

Edited: 07-02-07

****

International Delight  
Chapter Ten: First Impressions

As I unpacked the flat later that evening, I pondered Alex's question. I really had no idea as to what had prompted him to ask such a question. My stomach had dropped, and my heart had thudded painfully.

I was saved from answering, however, by Oliver passing by us. "Mommy!" Alex had exclaimed while tugging at my hand.

"Yes, baby?"

"I've seen that man before."

"Which?" I asked while looking around. There were many men surrounding us.

He pointed his small hand. My head snapped up to be met by the sight of Oliver helping some old woman with her carry on baggage. My throat closed a little, and my breathing became haggard. I loved the boy, but he was going to kill me.

"Well," I coughed, "he used to be a famous quidditch player, love."

"No. . . Mommy, you have pictures of him. So do Angie, 'Licia, Fred and George."

I had sighed, "He's my old quidditch captain from school. His name is Oliver Wood."

Alex chewed on that information as we continued our exit from the airport. I sighed as I put the rest of my dishes away. I was actually amazed at how big the flats were. The one that Alex and I had was actually about twice the size of the cottage. The only downside to the flat was the fact that we shared a building with every other player and staff member of the American National Team. That translated to many run-in encounters with Oliver Wood, and I was not in the least bit excited about that.

The flats were, however, nice and secluded. They were tucked away in the Appalachian Mountains. An all-wizarding town was a five minute walk away, the practice stadium was a five minute walk to the south, and to the west was a huge lake that I was informed had an impressive history. The whole area actually quite reminded me of being home in Scotland.

I was torn from my thoughts, however, by a sharp rapping at my door. I raced through the beige and cream coloured home to the oak front door. I took the time to straighten myself before opening it.

A man with dark hair and darker eyes stood before me. He cleared his throat, and, in a deep brassy voice, the black man said, "Excuse me, Miss Bell?"

"Please, call me Katie."

"Ah, sorry. Katie, I'm Adam King, one of the Chasers. Coach asked me to come get you. We're gonna have a meeting."

"Oh, all right. . . Hold on a moment, please." Adam nodded, and I turned back into the apartment. As I beckoned Alex from his new room, I wondered if I should put my scrubs on. They were the equivalent of muggle scrubs minus the nice fact that they were blood resistant. I chose to trade the scrubs for a smart pair of pin-striped slacks, a smart matching blazer, and a white silk blouse with a plunging neckline. A sassy pair of black three inch heels followed.

With an incline of my head to Mr. King, Alex and I rushed from the apartment. I was looking smart and sensible with a shiny briefcase in one hand and Alex was looking slightly baffled in his jeans, t-shirt, and trainers. He held a newly acquired Matchbox Car in his hand. The three of us must have looked like quite the comical trio.

Mr. King led us to a large conference room. Alex was ushered to a quiet corner with three other children, and I was placed three seats away from the head of the table. I opened the briefcase and pulled out a vast array of papers and a muggle pen as many men (and a few women) entered the room. Most threw curious glances at me as they sat around the table.

I straightened my hair nervously as the minutes ticked by slowly. After what seemed like eons, but was honestly only a few minutes, the three coaches entered the room. Each person at the table, including myself, stood as they walked my way. Many team members slapped them on the back as they passed, and each of the men responded with chuckles and smiles.

"Ah, you must be Miss Bell," said the tallest of the three men. He had a neat buzz cut, shining blue eyes, and a friendly air about him. "My name is Phillip Montgomery, and I am the coach of this team. On behalf of myself, my staff members, and the team, I welcome you to our family."

I smiled warmly and shook his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Montgomery."

He chuckled heartily and said, "Please, call me Phil."

I nodded, and he introduced the other coaches to me. "This is Ricky Hatfield," he said while pointing to a short portly man with watery blue eyes and a red snubby nose. I smiled warmly and the man inclined his head. "And this," he pointed to a tall young man next to him, "is Zachary Norton." Zachary Norton made my breath catch in my throat. He had a well defined face, gorgeous gray eyes, messy black hair, and a strong physique.

I could practically feel my knees go weak when he took my hand and kissed. "Its a pleasure to meet you, Miss Bell."

I nodded and Coach Montgomery boomed, "Please, everyone, have a seat!" Each person sat as directed and Phil looked at us as a proud father would. "I am happy to say, that once again, our team is complete. Early this morning, I got the call that Ginny Weasley, Oliver Wood, and Katie Bell were on the airplane and headed towards our humble abode."

I shook my head to myself. There were nothing humble about the place. It was nothing short of breathtaking. I cleared the thoughts from my head as Phil continued, "Never in my long career of coaching have I ever been this happy with a staff and team. I know, in the deepest pits of my being, that we are going to have an awesome season. I don't care whether we win or lose because I know we will at least be happy, albeit, I'd really prefer to win."

There were a few chuckles from the team members. "Miss Weasley?" Phil asked.

"Yes, Mr. Montgomery?" She questioned from her seat next to Oliver, near the end of the table.

"How was the flight?"

"Wonderful, thank you."

"And for you, Mr. Wood?" He asked conversationally.

"Quite well, thanks."

He nodded and said, "I'm extremely happy to have both of you on my team, and I know that you will feel right at home here. Is there anything that either of you need? Please tell me, I'll be happy to accommodate you."

Both shook their heads, and Phil turned to me. "Anything for you, Miss Bell?"

With a small shrug, I said, "I'll need an appointment with each team member in order to conduct a full physical. I'll also need medical charts and detailed medical history."

He nodded, "Very well, Miss Bell. I expect each of you to make an appointment with Miss Bell before you leave this room, and no, Xander, you're not getting out of this."

I noticed a striking young man at the end of the table near Oliver and Ginny pale considerably. Poor fellow. I smiled up at Phil and said, "Thank you."

He shrugged. "Get a good night's rest. Practice starts at seven o' clock sharp, yes in the morning. Miss Bell, Zach here will be at your apartment at eight o' clock sharp tomorrow morning to show you to your office and exam room." I nodded in thanks, and Phil continued, "You are released, and do **not **forget to make an appointment with Miss Bell. You should have fourteen appointments made before you leave, Miss Bell."

I stood as he started to head towards the door. I thrust my hand out for him to shake and said, "Thank you again, Phil."

He shrugged it off and left the room. I pulled an appointment book towards me as team members started to approach. "Hi, I'm Madelyn O'Reilly. Could I get the first appointment?"

"Sure nine 'o clock tomorrow morning," I said as I wrote out the appointment slip and handed it to her.

She nodded in thanks as another woman walked up, "Hey, doc. I'm Cheryl O'Reilly."

"Nice to meet you, Cheryl. Is ten 'o clock okay?" She nodded and took the appointment slip as I handed it to her.

After a few minutes more of making appointments only Oliver, Ginny, and the man that Phil had called Xander remained. The young man approached me and nervously fiddled with his fingers. "Xander, right?"

He nodded and said, "Yeah, Xander Williams."

"I can get you at noon on Thursday."

"That's fine." He took the appointment slip and began to walk away. At the last moment, he turned around and asked, "What do you mean by full physical?"

"Well," I sighed, "I will be checking your cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, genitourinary, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems to make sure there are no problems with your body."

I noticed him shiver as he asked, "Genitourinary...?"

"Testicular exam."

He blushed and exclaimed, "Is that really required?!"

"At least I'm not doing a rectal exam."

"Oh jeez, this is going to be terrible," he exclaimed softly as he walked from the conference room.

I chuckled slightly and looked up to see Oliver standing above me with a smirk on his face. "Testicular?" He asked cheekily.

I shoved the appointment slip at him and said, "Yes. One-thirty on Thursday, Wood."

Oliver shook his head at me and left the room mumbling. Ginny sat across from me and said, "Must you really be so hateful towards Oliver?"

"Yes, it is a requirement. I quite remember highlighting it in my 'How Not to Treat Your Friends' book. It clearly stated _'If a friend randomly abandons you and leaves no trace of his existence for a little over four years, you should be hateful towards him. Especially if he is a cheeky bastard and goes by the name of Oliver Wood.' _It was a question on an exam, I'm sure."

"Katie, you're hopeless," Ginny persisted.

"I may be hopeless," I interjected, "but at least I'm happy being so. Three on Thursday. Be there or be square."

Ginny shook her head and took the slip of paper from my hand. "You can only pretend to hate him for so long, Katie."

"Eternity wouldn't be long enough."


	11. Make that A Cup of Coffee

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: First of all, thanks to all my awesome reviewers! I can't believe that I didn't get Hell about having such a long break in between, but I guess I have the best audience in the world. Luff. Luff. I still can't help but try to apologize for my long rendezvous with writer's block. Hopefully, it is cured up, and I can get back to writing more. Thanks for sticking with me. I'm sorry that it's so short. It was an awkward chapter for me.**

Edited: 07-02-07

****

International Delight  
_**Chapter Eleven: Make that a Cup of Coffee**__  
__**(With a Side of Zachary Norton)  
**_**  
**

Zachary Norton arrived at my flat at eight o' clock on the dot the next morning. I was dressed in my snitch and broomstick covered scrubs, and my carpet bag full of equipment was thrown over my shoulder. Alex clung to my hand desperately, and he sported a small backpack with a few of his possessions.

"I didn't know you had a tyke!" He exclaimed excitedly. "And all this time I've been calling you Miss Bell! Where's your husband?"

I shook my head with a tight smile playing on my lips. "I'm not married, Mr. Norton."

"Oh. . . Widow?"

I cocked my eyebrow. "No, why would you ask?"

He shrugged as I locked the flat. "Any man would be a fool to leave you."

I shook my head. He would be a smooth talker. "That's very flattering, Mr. Norton, but I am not a widow, nor am I married. I am simply a single mother living my life to its fullest."

"Fair enough," he muttered as we walked down the long hallway. "Are you taking him to daycare?"

My mouth fell open in shock. Daycare?! I hadn't been informed that there was a daycare! How do they manage to not tell me these things? Once I realized that I must have looked like a fool with my mouth hanging open, I replied, "I was not aware that there was a daycare. I was going to bring Alex to work with me until I found a suitable daycare close by."

"You would be hard pressed, Miss Bell. We have a daycare centre on the top floor of the establishment. If you like, I could take you there now. You would be able to meet the sitter."

"Oh gosh, that would be wonderful!" I exclaimed as Alex tugged on my arm. I looked down to see his green eyes watering. "What's wrong, baby?"

"Mommy, who is that?" He pointed to Zachary.

The man stopped walking and bent down to the boy's level. He held out a hand and said, "I'm Zachary Norton, and who might you be?"

"Alexander James Bell."

"That's a nice strong name," Zachary said, his eyes shining in joy.

"Thank you," Alex stuttered. He looked down at the man's hand and shook it before asking, "How do you know my mommy?"

"Well, Alex, may I call you Alex?" When Alex nodded, he continued, "You're mommy and I work together now. She is the Medi-Witch for the American National Team, and I am the Defensive Coach."

"What's a defensive coach, sir?"

Zachary laughed. "Are you familiar with quidditch?" Alex nodded. "I'm the person that teaches the team what to do when the other team has the quaffle."

"Oh. Do you like it?" Alex questioned.

"Very much so."

Alex smiled, and Zachary stood up. "I suppose we should get to the daycare before Montgomery has my head for being late."

I nodded in agreement. Zachary took us to the daycare where I met Mrs. Montgomery. She was the wife of the quidditch coach, and I could already tell that I would like her immensely. In the back of my mind, I could faintly connect her presence to that of Mrs. Weasley. Because of that, and that alone, I felt safe leaving Alex with her.

After a short walk with Zachary, I was in the bottom quarters of the practice stadium. He led me to my office before quickly scurrying away with the excuse that he needed to get back to practice. I smiled warmly to myself before emptying my carpet bag and beginning to rearrange my working area.

The packing finished too quickly for my liking. Before I knew it, my first patient had arrived for her physical. I groaned in displeasure. I loved my work, truly, I did. However, I was not fond of giving full physicals. You got to know a person on a level that you just didn't want to know them on, and I always found that weird. No matter how much I hated physicals, I knew they were required. If I didn't give a physical, how could I ever know how to treat my patients?

So with a tight lipped smile on my face, I explained the procedure thoroughly to Miss O'Reilly. After discussing her medical history, I set the examining table up for the physical. After twenty minutes or so, I was finished, and my breath finally returned to normal.

I shuddered as Madelyn redressed behind the screen. "I'm sorry for the full physical, Miss O' Reilly, but it really was required."

She poked her head out from behind the screen with a small smile. "Hey, don't worry about it. I understand that you need to know your patient's bodies. I don't have a problem with it. I just wish my gynecologist was that gentle."

I shook my head at the red headed woman. I already knew that we would get on well. She bid me goodbye with a short smile, and I prepared myself for the next physical, which just so happened to be with the woman's sister, Cheryl.

After spending a hard day at work, and an awkward one, I was more than happy to pick Alex up from the care of Mrs. Montgomery. When I arrived at the daycare, it was to see Alex playing nicely with a girl who looked to be about his age. With a smile on my face, one thought ran through my mind. "He's going to be a heart breaker."

"He's been playing with her all day, love," said a sweet voice next to me. I jumped from shock and looked to see Mrs. Montgomery staring at me with a small smile playing on her lips.

I smiled warmly and asked, "Who is she?"

"Amanda Lawson. . . Her father is one of the chasers for the team," Mrs. Montgomery explained to me shortly.

"She's adorable."

"Your's isn't too bad himself. He's quite the handsome little devil," a deep male's voice boomed from behind us. I turned to see Jesse Lawson standing behind us with a smile on his face.

I shrugged and replied, "I think so myself."

He smiled before calling, "Amanda, are you ready to come home?"

The girl looked up, and her brilliant blue eyes flashed with happiness. She ran to her father's arms and placed a warm kiss on his cheek. I smiled as Alex ran over to me. "Mommy!" He exclaimed while latching himself onto my legs.

"Hey, killer. Ready to go see Ginny-winny?"

He nodded to me as Mrs. Montgomery handed me his bag. I bid a friendly farewell to Jesse, Amanda and Mrs. Montgomery before picking Alex up and walking towards Ginny's flat. We were nearly there when I encountered my first run-in with Oliver.

"Katie!" I nodded curtly and attempted to be on my way. "Kates, are you going to ignore me forever?"

"Yes."

"Katiiiiiiieeeee," he whined while pulling a puppy dog face at me.

I sneered. "Mr. Wood, I do not need you bothering me at the moment. My son and myself are on our way to Ginny's apartment. If you would please excuse us, we're late!"

"Son. . .?" I heard him question as I pushed past him. I shook my head. I found it a little strange that people wouldn't assume that Alex was my son when he was by my side more often than he wasn't.

Once we were at Ginny's flat and eating dinner, I sighed in relief. The day had been long, and I didn't relish another like it. With any luck, the next day of appointments would go much smoother. A heavier sigh escaped my lips as I realized that it probably wouldn't. Oliver's appointment was the next day.


	12. You've Found a Store of Wood, General?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: Thanks for all of the support. It means tons. The school year has been super busy, and I'm sure that it isn't slowing down. However, I will try to start upholding to my every two week thing. I'm sure it probably won't happen, but a girl can dream, yeah? Once again, thanks for all of the support.**

Edited: 07-02-07

**International Delight  
**_**Chapter Twelve: You've Found a Store of Wood, General?**__  
__**(Burn It.)**_****

Oliver's physical was upon me like the plague. My feet were **blistering** from all of the nervous pacing that I was doing. My breathing buzzed like a thousand **flies** from the hyperventilating that I went through. My nerves were eating away at my self-confidence like a horde of hungry **locusts**. There really wasn't much of a reason for me to be so nervous. It was just Oliver. I could easily ignore the fact that he was supposed to be my best friend and left me hanging for years. . . right?

Bah. I guess I forgot to add the fact that I was completely **delusional**. When Oliver's appointment did finally arrive, I couldn't hide my fury from him. My face became blotchy with anger spots, and my breathing was harsh and haggard.

"Katie, are you going to be all right?" He asked from behind the changing screen.

I screwed my eyes shut and attempted to control my breathing. "I will be fine, thank you very much, Mr. Wood."

"You really don't have to call me Mr. Wood, Kate."

My eyes popped open, and I sneered. "I am your doctor, Mr. Wood. You will address me as such."

Oliver walked from behind the changing screen with the hospital-like robe on. His face was scrunched up in a confused manner. "Okay," he said slowly, "Dr. Bell."

I motioned toward the bed, and he hopped onto it. "We should discuss your medical history, Mr. Wood."

"I have Type O Negative blood, I had the chicken pox when I was six, I broke my arm in my sixth year, and I caught Bronchitis last year," he replied in a clipped tone. As I wrote, I could feel him scrutinizing my every move.

"Very good," I mumbled as I finished writing. "I'm now going to check your heart rate, your blood pressure, and so on and so forth."

Oliver nodded and remained silent throughout me checking his vital signs. After doing so, I continued with the check of his cardiovascular system. Since I had already checked his heart rate, I went straight to checking the pulses in his wrist, neck and feet.

I felt him cringe when I touched his neck. Oh yes. Now I remembered. . . _Oliver Wood was extremely ticklish around his neck_. With a small shake of my head, I said, "Mr. Wood, I am going to need to palpate the lymph nodes on your neck. I'm going to need you to remain as calm as possible."

He scowled at me, and I barely managed to hide my smirk. Merlin, I was being a bitch. I sighed slightly as I began the check of his lymph nodes. Hmm. . . perfectly normal. . . no swelling. . . "_I could finish the check_," I thought to myself, "_or I could just watch him squirm._"

After a few seconds, I relieved the pressure from around his neck. Angelina and Alicia would be very disappointed in me. . . Lee wouldn't care one way or another. . . Fred and George would cackle at my nonsense. . . And Ginny, well I'd hear from her that night.

I pointed my wand at Oliver's chest, and his eyes widened in shock. "Katie. . . I mean, Dr. Bell, " he stammered, "I realize that we're not on the best of terms, but is that really necessary?"

"Mr. Wood, you're being ridiculous. I'm merely going to listen to your heart rate and examine your diaphragm," I muttered as I silently cast the spell. He looked around shocked as the sound of his heart beating filled the air around us. After a minute of so, I nodded and wrote my analysis. _**Strong heart beat, steady, and good heart rate.**_

The next part of the exam was the nervous system. I checked the pupil's response to light, ocular motion, examined his ears, and checked skin sensation. This went on without noise from Oliver and with an occasional _hmm, tsk _or grunt from myself.

I was preparing to continue on to the musculoskeletal portion of the exam when a sharp tapping at my window pulled me away from my patient. "Pardon me for a moment, Mr. Wood."

Oliver jerked his head at me in a sort of up and down motion, and I assumed that he had granted me the permission to let the damn pesky owl inside. Once I opened the window, I recognized Adrian Troy's owl, Valandri. I sighed and allowed the owl to land on my desk. He turned his golden eyes on me and ruffled his black feathers. Godric, the poor thing looked exhausted.

I took the letter from it's leg and retrieved it a small petri dish of water. I rummaged through my bag for the crackers I had intended to eat as a snack later in the day and fed them to him. I patted his head and tossed the letter on the desk.

I brushed the letter to the side and started to return to Oliver to finish his physical. The moment I turned from him, Valandri screeched hauntingly and flew to me. I was surprised to see the letter clutched tightly in his beak. "Not now, Valandri, I have a patient," I said while motioning to Oliver.

The owl landed on my shoulder and began to tap me on the head with the letter. What a persistent little son of. . . gun. I sighed exasperatedly. "Mr. Wood, you'll have to excuse me for a bit longer than I had anticipated."

He shrugged. Doctors made him nervous. They always had. It didn't matter I was. . . cut that. . . used to be one of his best friends. He wasn't comfortable around me, and he didn't like me doing his physical. Granted, he wouldn't like anyone doing his physical.

I took the letter from Valanril and opened it, a bit more ferociously than I had intended. The bird flew from my shoulder in a hurry, and I shook the letter open. I was surprised to find two small pieces of parchment float to the ground. I retrieved them and studied them intently. They were tickets to Ireland's game with the German National team.

**  
Katie,**

**First and foremost, I am so incredibly sorry. I know you more than likely hate me (or at least dislike me very strongly,) but I really am sorry. I was a real asshole, and I understand that. I refused to go out with you on that day because I had thought that you were dating another man. Now, I know this must sound illogical, and I now know that you were not dating another man at all. I had overheard you mention something about someone named Alex, and I had automatically thought of some good looking bloke that was wooing you somewhere. I had no idea that he would turn out to be your son. I never would have expected it at all. So I, being the cloddish fellow that I am, became jealous and automatically decided that I didn't want to see you at all.**

**You can imagine my shock when I met little Alex that day at the stadium. I was completely confused, and I felt like the biggest idiot in the world, and I still do for that matter. I'm a dolt, and I'm terribly sorry for any amount of pain that I might have caused you. I really would like to get to know you, and I hope that you'll give me a chance to redeem myself.**

**I have sent you two tickets to our first national game. We play the German's in our stadium, and I, along with the rest of the team and coaches, thought it would be really nice if you (and Alex) came to see us model your robes. I don't request anything of you after the game, but if you would like to, I would like to try to have dinner again. . . I'm also open to you bringing Alex along if you like. I'd love to really meet him.**

**I hope you'll sincerely consider this apology and think about attending the game.**

**Sincerely,**

**Adrian**

I sighed and tossed the paper onto the table. I didn't know how I felt about it at the moment. I really would like to go see the team in my robes, but I don't know if I'd like to be confronted with Adrian. I'd think about later. . . Like, after Oliver's physical later.

"Valandri, stay here and relax while I finish up with Mr. Wood. I'll send a reply later."

The owl hooted in what might have been gratitude and perched himself on my examining light. "Now for the rest of the exam, Mr. Wood." He blanched, and I began testing his flexibility and reflexes. **Very strong arms and back, leg muscles are thick and healthy, and he's extremely flexible.**

"Mr. Wood, I need you to untie your robe in the back and drop it toward your pelvic bone." Oliver did as he was told, and I nodded in approval. Good, if we could get the next two parts of the physical over, I could send him on his way and never have to talk to him again.

"Lie down on the bed, Mr. Wood," I instructed. Oliver promptly laid back, and I could see him clenching his teeth. Godric, he was ridiculously nervous. Speaking of nervous. . . that boy should pull up his robes a little. . . Merlin, look at those hips. **Katie, snap out of it. **I shook my head. Now was not the time to be reassessing Oliver Wood's strong physique.

I softly began to palpate Oliver's abdomen to check for tenderness or unhealthy masses. After a couple of minutes, I deemed him mass-less and tender in all the right ways. **Oh, Merlin, Katie, stop being such a pervert.** I shook my head. I was pervving on Oliver Wood and that was very wrong considering that I hated him and all.

At this point in time, I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks . For the first time, out of countless physical exams that I had conducted, I was embarrassed to do the Genitourinary exam. I was a big girl. There was no reason that I should have been embarrassed over the fact that I needed to check his testicles for strange lumps. I shuddered. This part of the exam was wrong on so many levels.

I cleared my throat to catch Oliver's attention. When he looked up at me, I indicated that he should pull his robe up and sit in the upright position. Once he did so, I mumbled, "Mr. Wood, I am going to have to examine your testicles for unusual lumps or anything of the sort."

Oliver's face flushed beet red. Both of us knew this part of the physical was coming up, but neither he or I seemed prepared to deal with it. He choked out something unrecognisable and closed his eyes tightly. I took a deep breath and bent over and pulled up his robe. Oh jeez. How awkward was this?

**  
"Oh, hey, Oliver."**

**"Hey, Katie."**

**"Look, I know that we haven't talked to each other in quite a few years and that I pretty much detest you, but would you mind if I have a look-see up your robes?"**

**"..."**

I sighed. Okay, so it wasn't that bad, but really. Touching someone's testicles that you once had a huge crush on is just really far out there. **Really rea**_**lly**_far out there. After a quick examine, I pushed his robes back down and rushed to my sink to wash my hands.

"You are more than welcome to go change back into your clothes, Mr. Wood. You're physical is finished."

"Okay," he choked out.

As I washed my hands and Oliver changed, I couldn't help but think, _"Oliver's penis didn't seem so big all those years ago when he walked around stark naked in the Gryffindor changing room." _I groaned and gagged a little at the same time. I was **pervving** on Oliver Wood, and I was disgusted with myself.

"Thank you, Dr. Bell," I heard him mutter a few minutes later. I nodded and the only thing that met my ears was the sound of my door clicking closed.

I sat at my desk and looked at Adrian's letter and the **Ireland v. Germany **quidditch tickets. Man, the tickets were right below the press box. Holy cow, those were great tickets. I shook my head in wonder. How would I ever make it through a night with Adrian Troy haunting my every thought?

As if on cue, Ginny walked into my office. I got the best idea I'd had in a long while and took a piece of spare parchment and a self-inking quill from my desk.

**  
Adrian,**

**If you could send me another ticket near those where Alex and myself will be sitting, you can most definitely count on me being at the game **_**to see the robes.**_

**Thanks,**

**Katie Bell**

I rolled the parchment up and attached it to Valandri's leg. He took flight through my window, and I finally turned to face Ginny. She smiled at me warmly.

"So, I just saw Oliver in the hall," she said slyly.

My face flushed, and my stomach twisted into knots. I felt like I was thirteen again. "So?" I questioned.

"Why do you look so dazed?"

"Merlin, Ginny, his penis was huge."


	13. Sprechen sie Englisch?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: All right, I just need to get a few things out there... One: I am aware that the Gryffindor team would have two separate lockers, but I'm a pervvy author, and I like to think of Oliver naked. Two: I **_**really**_** like to think of Oliver naked. Forgive me. Three: Bolded and/or italicized words are usually used to put particular emphasis on a certain word. Four: My German isn't too hot. I am in my second year of German. Live with me, yeah?**

**Thanks for all of the support. It means so much to me.**

**P.S. Believe it or not, this chapter has been nearly complete for over a month and a half, however, I had a very hard time once the Quidditch match actually started. I'm not much of an action writer, and I unfortunately let that bring me down. I have some good ideas brewing around in my brain for this story, and hopefully, I'll get the next chapter out much sooner. I'm terribly sorry for the long delay.**

Edited: 07-02-07

  
**International Delight  
**_**Chapter Thirteen: Sprechen Sie Englisch?**_

I sighed as I looked at myself in the mirror. I'm plain old Katie Bell. Why would world-famous Quidditch players ever be interested in me? Really, I wasn't all that impressive. I had curly brown hair, sea-green eyes and an athletic build.

I'm plain old Katie Bell with dimples and worry lines. I sighed. Well, at least I knew that one man would always be interested in me. I looked down with a smile at Alex, who was sprawled out on the floor and "reading" a quidditch magazine that Ginny had given him. The magazine was upside down.

Speaking of Ginny. . . Gosh, she would never let me live down my comment about Oliver and his. . . ahem. . . many attributes. I blushed and sneered at myself in the mirror. I can't believe I perved on a patient. Gross. I completely crossed the line.

"Mommy," Alex spoke up from the floor, "when are we going to leave for the quidditch game?"

"As soon as Ginny gets here, love."

"Good," he replied, "because I really like quidditch."

I smiled warmly at him. Of course he really liked quidditch; it was all he knew. He was growing up with me and the Weasleys. In fact, there was no way he couldn't like quidditch. It was just improbable.

There was a faint knocking on our front door, and Alex jumped up with a smile. "I'll get it!" He exclaimed happily.

I nodded in approval and retrieved our cloaks. It was mid-September, and we were travelling to Ireland. I was more than positive that it would be cold.

The weather was one of the huge differences between Tennessee and the United Kingdom. While Tennessee had the same sort of mountains, it did not have the same climate as our home back in Scotland. For on thing, the climate was much warmer. It was mid-September, and the daily weather was still close to seventy degrees Fahrenheit. It didn't rain as often as it did at home, and according to Adam King, it hardly ever snowed.

"Katie, let's go, or we'll miss our portkey!" I heard Ginny exclaim from the living room. I snapped from my reverie and left my bedroom for the living room.

Ginny tossed a pair of muggle coats at me and said, "You'll be a lot more comfortable in those."

I dropped our heavy winter cloaks and happily exclaimed, "Thanks."

Within a few minutes of leaving the apartment complex, we were standing outside of the stadium. I sighed deeply. I couldn't believe I had actually agreed to come here. I saw Ginny shaking her head slightly and muttering to herself. She was still a little mad at me for forcing her to come along. It served her right, though, for harassing me over stupid things I said about Oliver Wood.

Once we handed over our tickets, we were led quickly to our seats. I shook my head. I didn't understand the special treatment, but I'm sure it had something to do with Adrian. I smiled warmly at the young man that had led us to our seats and thanked him.

A striking young man with blonde hair and electric blue eyes sat next to me on the left and Alex and Ginny were to my right. I crossed my legs over one another and pulled my coat around my body. Gosh, it really was much colder here. I turned to Alex in time to see Ginny casting a warming spell on him. I smiled to her in thanks, and she shrugged.

My eyes flitted over the stadium. The early afternoon sun was meagrely breaking through the thick, rolling grey clouds and allowing weak beams of light to illuminate the large Saturday crowd. A smile spread over my face when a message board across the field flashed, "Weasley Wizard Wheezes: U-No-Poo, the constipation sensation that's sweeping the nation."

I didn't know that they were still trying to sell that stuff. Gross. However, I couldn't help but laugh. Those boys were doing so well for themselves. My eyes spanned around the stadium once again gaining a panoramic view to the best of my abilities. I noted all of the exits, and I patted the sleeve of my coat to make sure that my wand was still placed securely there.

When I looked at the message board again, I was surprised to find a picture of myself displayed there. I was talking animatedly with Troy, and the rest of the Irish team stood behind us flexing their muscles in my robes. I cocked my eyebrow as a message scrawled across the board, "The Irish National Team would like to take this opportunity to gladly thank Ms. Katelinn Bell for allowing them to be the first to use her excellent quidditch robes."

I blushed as Alex squeezed my arm and said, "Mommy! Did you see that picture? That's so awesome! My mommy's famous!"

A deep voice from beside me said, "Das ist Sie! Sie unterstützen Irland?"

Oh jeez. The blonde man was speaking to me, in German. Oh gosh! My Great Aunt Maike was German. How had she taught me to ask if someone spoke English? After a few seconds, I remembered.

"Ich habe Deutsch nicht gern. Sprechen Sie Englisch?" I questioned uncertainly. I wasn't one hundred percent positive that I had gotten that right.

"Oh!" He exclaimed with a wide smile. "You do not speak German?"

"No, I don't speak it at all."

"I was just saying that the picture of Troy and the team with those robes had you in it."

I smiled and nodded. "Yes, I design quidditch robes, and they're wearing my first series of them."

"Ah, so are you an Ireland supporter?"

With a sheepish smile, I replied, "I have been for the most of my life."

The man held out his hand for me to shake and said, "My name is David Köhler."

"Katie Bell," I replied while shaking the man's hand.

With an inquisitive tone, he said, "You work for Ireland..."

"Oh no," I replied as the referees began to enter the stadium from the locker room entrances. "I actually work for the American National Quidditch Team as a Medi-Witch. I design the robes on the side with the hope of selling them to more teams for a bit of extra cash."

He nodded, and my attention was pulled away from him when a Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon let out a ferocious roar from the ground level. Alex leaned forward in his seat as the German mascot was led around the field. Der Deutschland Drachen, The Germany Dragons, was a team of ferocious men that more often than not played a mean game of quidditch. The Ironbelly was used a symbol to show how tough they were.

The dragon was led off of the field as the leprechauns that represented the Irish National Team appeared. They formed a dragon and a knight with a javelin. The little green devils depicted the knight slaying the dragon and cheers erupted from the crowd of Irish supporters below. The leprechauns broke and soared over the crowd dropping their phony gold from the heavens.

Out of nowhere a voice exploded throughout the stadium. "Welcome friends, to the Ireland v. Germany quidditch match! We've seen the mascots, and now for the national anthems!"

A few minutes later, I was tapping my fingers on my knee in boredom. I never knew national anthems could be so_ boring_. I sighed in relief as the songs finally came to an end. "And here's the Irish team: Connolly, Lynch, Moran, Mullet, Quigley, Ryan annnnnnd Troy!" From the corner of my eye, I noticed Alex cover his ears from the deafening noise that the Irish supporters made as the team flew around the stadium in their usual V shape.

I put my arm around his shoulder and pulled him close to me as the commentator continued, "And here's the German team: Becker, Fischer, Koch, Meyer, Neumann, Schmidt, and Weiß." I actually blanched when I heard the German supporters. They were so loud!

I pulled Alex closer as the two teams stared one another down. Troy shook the hand of the German captain, Weiß, who played keeper on the German team. One referee opened the box containing the balls and allowed the bludgers and the snitch to be let loose. The snitch flew right under Lynch's nose, and you could tell that he was eager to reach out and touch it. As soon as the second referee blew his whistle, the second tossed the quaffle into the air, and the teams were off!

"Possession of the quaffle taken by Troy and passed to Mullet. . . Wait, Moran. Mullet, Troy, Mullet, Moran, Mullet, Troy. . . And Troy throws a shot right past Weiß! Ireland 10-0!"

Weiß was shaking his head in displeasure. Of course, since he wasn't paying attention, another shot, thrown by Moran, was thrown into the right hoop. The announcer shouted, "And Moran scores! 2 0-0 to Ireland! Weiß has got to be feeling the heat now! These Irish chasers just won't stop!"

I shook my head in delight. The Irish chasers were on top of their game as much now as they had been when I saw them play for the world cup seven years ago. It was bloody spectacular. Alex gripped my hand tightly as Lynch and Fischer, the German seeker, took off at a near vertical dive toward the Irish side of the stands.

Aidan pulled out of the dive at the last second, and Fischer slammed face first into the ground. I gasped in slight surprise when he looked our way and smirked. It took a few seconds for me to make the connection between his latest action and our section of the stands. Aidan Lynch. Wronski Feint. Me, Alex, and Ginny. Oh. . . I smiled to myself as Fischer pulled himself off of the field and jumped back onto his broom. Aidan was proving to Ginny that he did, indeed, know how to perform a Wronski Feint in the correct manner.

I glanced at Ginny to see her glowering at the green blur that was Aidan Lynch. I shook my head at both of their actions. Lynch was being arrogant, and Ginny was being stubborn. . . not that that was something different for her.

Eh, it wasn't something for me to be thinking about. My eardrums nearly popped at the explosion of noise that erupted a few seconds later. Aidan had caught the snitch! The game had only been going for ten minutes!

I heard, "Ay, another loss for Germany," from my left and an exclamation of, "He's just a show-off. I'm sure McCready will be absolutely enthralled that he caught the snitch so early in the game. Any good team, however, would be upset that he didn't allow them the chance to play a long, hard fought match."

"Ginny, stop mumbling," I muttered as I rose from my seat and threw Alex over my shoulder. He giggled as Ginny shook her head.

We were preparing to leave the stadium when a pimply young man in an official looking set of robes called to us. "Excuse me, Miss Weasley, Miss Bell. . . Mr. McCready would like to see you before you leave for the evening!"

I rolled my eyes. Great.


	14. Dinner for Two, Three, or?

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: Yup, I am really bad at updating. I'm super sorry guys. I'll try to update faster, but I probably won't be able to. If I knew all of you guys personally, I'd tell you that you could hit me (like I tell my friends.) Sorry once again. I have my ideas for the next chapter, and I hope to start it tonight after I write my Military History essay. Enjoy!**

Edited: 07-02-07

**International Delight  
**_**Chapter Fourteen: Dinner for Two. . . Or Three. . . Or. . .**_

As I sat in McCready's office, I felt nervous for Aidan Lynch, Ginny, and Alex. The nerves for Aidan and Ginny were simply because the two were in the same room. My nerves for Alex stemmed from the fact that he sat outside of the office with Ginny.

My nervousness came to a head when I heard Ginny scream, "Why the Hell would you do that?"

"What's wrong, Gin-Gin?" Alex questioned.

"Why the Hell would you invite those goons to dinner?!"

I did not hear the response of the person to whom Ginny was talking, but I did hear what she had to say to the person. "You go tell, Katie! You are not making me responsible for revealing your mistake!" Her next comment was, "I don't care if she's meeting McCready! He's currently with the team! Go in there and tell her what you did."

My eyes were affixed firmly to the door. After a few seconds, the doorknob turned and the door opened slowly. My eyes widened when Fred walked into the office. He shut the door behind him, and the closed blinds tapped against the window, enumerating the silence of the room.

I accessed his facial features. His face was locked in a state between amusement and a grimace. Fred was obviously pleased with the mischief that his action would cause, but he was obviously very afraid of my reaction to said planned mischief.

Fred cleared his throat. "Hey, Katie," he mumbled, his voice cracked with nerves.

I nodded curtly. "Fred."

"Listen, Ginny's really pissed off at me at the moment."

"Why?"

Fred began to wring his hands, and he stuttered out his next statement. "Well, I was talking to Troy; we're good friends, you know; and I have sort of invited him to dinner."

My stomach dropped. '_Oh jeez_,' I thought to myself. Adrian Troy + Dinner Not fun for me. I still wasn't comfortable being around Adrian, but I couldn't deny Molly the right to see Alex and myself. She was incredibly upset that I had moved the two of us to America, and I knew Alex missed her, too.

"That's not all, Katie."

My head snapped up at this. What else could he have done? Adrian was bad enough; I doubted it could get any worse.

"I also invited Oliver when I rang him on the telly this morning."

My stomach then dropped painfully. Fred had invited the ghost of my thoughts to dinner? Oliver haunted my mind almost constantly. If I wasn't thinking of how he had hurt me all those years ago, I was thinking of how attracted I was to him, all those years ago and even now.

"Oh," I muttered weakly.

"Katie, I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience to you."

I could sulk about it, or I could be a big girl. "It's okay, Fred, you can invite who you want to dinner."

He smiled widely, "Bloody Hell, you're amazing, Katie. I thought you would have been really pissed off."

I shrugged. "Listen, Fred, do you really want to make dinner interesting?"

The mischievous sparkle was back in his eye. "Yes. How?"

"Do you know Aidan Lynch very well?"

"Oh yeah. George and I, as the esteemed owners of Weasley Wizard Wheezes, do rub shoulders with the famous," he replied. "Why?"

"Invite him."

"Katie," Fred said warningly.

With an innocent grin, I asked, "Yes?"

"Ginny will be pissed."

I gasped, "Really?"

"Katie!"

"Seriously, Fred, I know that Ginny will be pissed, but have you ever looked at the way Aidan looks at Ginny? The boy's head over heels for her. He made a mistake, and he knows that. You can tell that he wants to make things right, but he'll never be able to if he doesn't get the chance. Let's give him the chance."

Fred sighed, "Katie, Ginny will kill us."

"Fred," I began slowly as I cocked an eyebrow at him, "do you ever want to see your baby sister happy again? Give her a chance at love. She needs someone since Harry died, and I think that Aidan may be what she needs."

He sighed. "Fine, I'll do it, but if this doesn't work out, she finds out that it was your idea."

I held out my hand, and he shook it firmly. "Deal."

"Katie! Mr. Weasley!" Fred and I turned to see McCready walking into the office with a jovial smile on his face.

"Mr. McCready," I said with my patented curt nod.

"Jeff, old man!" Fred cried happily as he shook the man's hand. "Congratulations on your victory today. It was smashing to see Germany's team be beaten."

McCready smiled and said, "Thank you, Mr. Weasley. I hope you noticed your add today. . ."

"I did, indeed. Listen, we need to talk next week about expanding the ads you run. U-No-Poo is an old product, and I think we should start advertising better-selling products."

McCready nodded his head thoughtfully. "We can meet Thursday for lunch; usual place, usual time."

"All right, I'll tell George this evening at dinner. Once again, congratulations on your impressive success this afternoon. I really must get away for now. I have more dinner plans to make, and I'm sure that you'll be wanting to talk with Katie," mumbled Fred. He shook McCready's hand one more time and was out of the office.

With a smile, McCready turned towards me. "I'm glad to see that you could make it today, Katie."

"I'm glad I was here," I replied with a small smile. "The team's win was fantastic."

"They adore your robes, Katie." I had the sense to hang my head in humility. There was no reason to gain a big head over something like a few men and women loving something I designed. "I want to talk to you about a contract, Katie."

My head snapped up. "Excuse me?"

McCready nodded. "I'm willing to sign a five year contract with you. We want your robes brand-new each year. We want the same quantity, unless our numbers change, of course. We will pay you 10,000 galleons per year. You get a total of 50,000 galleons all together."

"I don't know what to say." I was in complete shock. I was certain that my robe would be a hit, but I didn't think that it would be such a monumental one.

He grinned and placed a contract on the desk in front of me. "Just say yes, Katie."

"Of course I'll do it!"

McCready placed a quill on top of the contract, and I grasped at it firmly. My hands were shaking, and I wasn't sure if I could physically sign the contract. With a deep breath, I steadied my hand, and I signed the contract in my big, loopy handwriting. I stared at my signature. Katelinn Bell. All I had left to do was cross the 't' and dot the 'i.' With a smile, I finished signing my name and pushed the contract toward McCready.

He shook my hand and said, "Congratulations, Katie Bell. You are the official style consultant for the Irish Team when it comes to robes."

My smile brightened, and I couldn't help but laugh from happiness. I had been waiting for a day like this for four, nearly five years. I opened my mouth to thank McCready, but all I could do was stutter.

With a kind smile, he said, "Get out of here, kid, and go celebrate."

I smiled and ran excitedly from the room. I pulled Ginny and Alex into a hug and laughed happily. I kissed Alex's cheek and pulled both of them tight.

"Katie, what happened?" Ginny asked in shock.

Tears of shock and happiness ran down my face. One of my dreams had just come true, and here I was blubbering like an idiot. "I just signed a five year deal with McCready for robes for the team!" I exclaimed happily.

"That's spectacular!" Ginny exclaimed, and Alex wrapped his little arms tightly around my neck.

"I know! Will you take Alex to Molly's? I have to go tell Marion and Terrance. . . And Xavier, Andrew, and Angela!" I gushed. Ginny nodded, and I apparated from the stadium to _Quality Quidditch Supplies_.

When I walked in, Terrance was helping a customer. Once the customer left, with a new Firebolt in tow, he turned to me with a bright smile. "Why, Katie Bell! I haven't seen you in weeks!"

I rushed up to hug him. "Oh, Terrance, guess what!"

"You're getting married!" His said excitedly as his eyes lit up with hope.

I paused for a moment. "No, not quite."

"You're dating someone."

I cocked my head to the right with a confused face. "Nuh-uh."

"You met someone?" He asked weakly.

I shook my head. "Sorry to disappoint, Terrance, but this is much better than a man. I just signed a five year contract with McCready to continue making the robes for the Irish team."

"How fantastic! You must tell Marion!" He exclaimed as he wrapped me in a tight hug.

With a smile, I replied, "I was on my way to. I just want to stop in and let you know."

"Thanks for stopping in, Kate. I'm really happy for you. You should stop by more often."

"I will," I replied simply before apparating straight in Marion's shop. "Marion?" I called out.

"In the back, dear!"

I rushed backed to see Marion folding newly sewed robes, and I smiled widely. "Marion, I just signed a five year contract with the Irish team to make robes for them."

She turned and smiled widely. She embraced me in a hug and said, "That's terrific! Have you told Terrance?"

"I just came from there," I replied simply.

"Well, I must not keep you from telling anyone else! I know you're excited, dear. Just drop by for dinner some night, okay?"

As I rushed from the room, I yelled over my shoulder, "All right, Marion! Have a good day!" And I was gone from her shop.

I apparated promptly to the little house that the Quinsy triplets occupied in Tutshill, Wales. I impatiently beat at their door. I couldn't wait to tell them the good news. They would be thrilled because I knew that they were all extremely worried when I up and quit the Tornados.

"C'mon, open up," I muttered to myself as I bit my lip.

I beat on the door harder, and I grinned when I was rewarded with the sound of Xavier yelling through the house. "Chill out, eh? I'm on my bloody way to the door."

"Xaaaaaaaavier! It's cold out here!" I whined, and I was rewarded with the door opening much sooner that I would have expected it to.

"Kaaaaaaaatie!" He exclaimed much in the manner that I had just whined his name. "What are you doing here?"

With a shrug, I said, "I could leave, Xav."

"Don't!" He nearly yelled. I cocked an eyebrow, and he smiled sheepishly. "I miss you, but you don't ever show up unannounced."

It was my turn to look sheepish. Xavier was quite correct. I was not the type to show up at any place unannounced. I thought it was extremely rude, and I actually looked down upon it.

I shrugged and asked, "Listen, are Andy and Angie home?"

"Nah. Angie moved in with her boyfriend last week, and Andy didn't come home from his date last night."

"Hmm. . . Well, then they miss out on the important news."

"Katie, are you getting married?!" Xavier asked excitedly, and I was strangely reminded of Terrance. I was a bit perturbed by the likeness of the men.

"No, nor am I dating anyone, nor did I meet a man in America. You know, its funny. . . Because I was asked this once already today."

"Thus meaning. . ." Xavier pressed.

"That the people that I closely associate myself with are delusional. Listen, I think I might catch it, so I'm just going to leave now."

Xavier leaped from the door of the house and encased me in a tight hug. "Don't you leave me, Katie Bell! You just got here! Get your pretty little face in this house right now."

I laughed and stumbled into the house. I found it quite difficult to walk with Xavier's arms wrapped tightly around my neck. As we walked toward the kitchen (he had offered me lunch), I said, "Well, I do have good, non-relationship based news for you."

"Oh?" He asked as he prepared a lunch of turkey sandwiches, yogurt, vanilla granola, and bottled water.

I accepted the food from him with an appraising nod. I was surprised that he was still following the diet that I had set for him a few weeks before I left. "You know how I got the job with Ireland this year for the robes?"

"Yeah, that was really exciting," he replied as he tore ferociously into his sandwich.

I nodded in agreement. "I got a five year contract with them."

Xavier choked on his sandwich. When he cleared his windpipe, he exclaimed, "Katie! That's such great news! Congratulations!"

"Thanks, tons, Xav. Listen, are you busy tonight?"

"Not so much. Katie, are you asking me on a date?" He gasped.

I laughed and shook my head. "No, we're having dinner at Molly's tonight. You do remember the last time you ate there, right?"

Xavier closed his eyes and smiled happily. "Mmhmm. . . that food is sooo wonderful."

I prodded him with my spoon. When he looked at me, I continued, "Would you like a break from your healthy food for a night?"

He looked at the big bite of Key Lime yogurt I was ingesting, and he nodded his head vigorously. I tossed a piece of granola at him and asked, "Would you like to come to dinner? Alex will be there."

A light shone in his eyes as he looked down at the granola I was popping into my mouth. Xavier grinned, and he said, "Of course I'll be there! Are you joking? I wouldn't miss it for the world! When do we leave?"

"Well, dinner won't be until about six, but we can leave as soon as you get dressed."

"Bloody Hell!" Xavier exclaimed as he jumped from his chair. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

I nodded and continued to eat my yogurt and granola. I heard water begin to run in his bathroom and assumed that he was either shaving or showering. Either way, I knew I had time to clean up the dishes.

I was just finishing the dishes when I heard Xavier enter the room. "Katie," he said, "you didn't have to do the dishes."

I turned to see him sporting a pair of well-worn blue jeans and a faded Italian football shirt. He flipped his hair away from his eyes, and I was pleased to see that he had shaved his stubble away.

I shrugged, "The dishes weren't a problem. You look nice, by the way."

Xavier smiled before summoning a pair of the American shoes Chuck-Taylor's. With a cheeky smile, he said, "If you think I look nice now, you should see me wearing nothing but bubbles."

I laughed. "You're very cheeky, Xavier Quinsy, but I'm sure you're adorable with bubbles."

He nodded. "I really am. It drives the girls crazy."

"Its nice to know that you frequent bubble-baths with girls," I replied with a cheeky grin.

"Listen, I'm a quidditch star, I'm smashing in the sack, and girls can't resist me. I'm not gonna lie, Katie, I like to have sex."

I wasn't shocked. I knew that about Xavier. However, he was like a brother to me, and I always worried about him.

With a serious look, I asked, "You use protection, right?"

"Well, yeah, I always use a contraceptive charm."

"What about prophylactics?"

"Kaite! Why would you want to know that?"

"Xavier, honestly, I care about you like a brother. I used a contraceptive charm, and I now have Alex."

He smiled warmly. "I'll make sure to use prophylactics, Kate."

"Good." I smiled fondly. "Now, would you like to floo or apparate?"

"Floo!" He exclaimed excitedly. I couldn't help but shake my head at him. He was like a child in a toy shoppe when it came to flooing. He loved the feeling of spinning out of control.

We approached his fireplace, and he put a pinch of floo powder into my hand. "Together on three?" I asked.

We had made it a game long ago to floo at the same time. It was much funner that way. You spun out of control much more than regularly when you were entwined in a hug with someone.

We climbed into the roaring fireplace (after throwing the floo powder, of course), and we bellowed, "One. . . two. . . three. . . THE BURROW."


	15. When Games Go Too Far

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: So, I got a nice big one review for my last chapter. le sigh Oh well. Thanks to the one reviewer, however, you made my day super awesome and bright. Anyway, this chapter is awkward the way I originally wrote it... so I'm adding some stuff as I type. I hope it all makes sense.**

**P.S. This is a super long chapter... can I please have reviews? They aren't neccesary, but man do they make me happy when I'm crying over my six hours of homework.**

Edited: 07-02-07

International Delight  
_**Chapter Fifteen: When Games Go Too Far**_

When Xavier and I fell from the fireplace at the Burrow, mouths gaped and eyes widened from shock. I suppose the shock wasn't completely unfounded; we were lying on the floor in a rather compromising position. I rolled my eyes and tried to push Xavier off of me.

"Get off, Xavier; I think they're getting the wrong impression. . . especially Molly," I mumbled as a blush crept over my face.

As Xavier untangled himself from me, limb by limb, I heard Alex exclaim, "Uncle Xavier!"

"Hey, buddy!" Xavier exclaimed. As I crawled from the floor, I noticed Xavier ruffle Alex's hair. I also noticed quite a few pairs of eyes staring at me curiously.

"Why were you on top of Mommy? Were you wrestling?" Alex questioned; his sea-green eyes shone in wonder.

All of the eyes that were on me a few seconds ago were now focused on Xavier. "Of course we weren't wresting, Alex," he said as he tweaked his nose, "Uncle Xavier only had a pinch of floo powder left, so we shared the floo powder."

"Why didn't you just apparate?" Alex questioned, and I began to wonder when the boy became a member of the Spanish Inquisition.

Xavier shuddered, and he replied, "I'm deathly afraid of apparating. Its a very uncomfortable feeling."

"Oh," Alex looked disappointed, "so you don't like my mommy?"

Heat rose in my cheeks, and a wave of anger washed through my body. Angry eyes found their way to guilty faces that were worn by the Weasley clan. Each had the sense to look apologetic.

Xavier laughed and said, "Sorry, lad, but I don't like your mommy. She likes girls!"

"Xavier!" I exclaimed as I punched him hard in the arm.

He laughed and said, "I'm joking. Listen, Alex, I've got my eyes on another bird, and I'm sure that your Mommy has her eyes on some other lad."

I noticed Xavier's eyes travel toward Oliver and Adrian, both of whom were watching the exchange with interest. I punched him again. I had the pleasure of seeing him wince in pain.

"Katie, would you kindly stop punching me?"

I sneered at him and replied, "Xavier, I will stop punching you when you stop telling my child things that simply just are not true."

He thrust his hand out at me. "Deal."

I shook it firmly. "Deal. Now, I'm pretty sure that you've met all of the Weasleys. . . except maybe Fleur. Was Fleur here the last time you were?"

"No, I don't believe so."

I pointed to Fleur, who sat with Bill. Their fingers were laced together in her lap, and Bill would occasionally reach up to touch Fleur's flat stomach. I smiled brightly. Fleur was pregnant! Molly would be absolutely enthralled.

"She's Bill's wife." He nodded, and I continued, "I don't know if you've met either of these men. Oliver Wood and Adrian Troy."

Xavier shrugged. "Its nice to meet you fellows."

"Likewise," Oliver stated.

"You, too," Adrian replied blandly.

My eyes lit up when I looked toward the doorway. "Oh, you know the twins, but they're assorted guests are Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Lee Jordan, Dean Thomas, and Aidan Lynch."

He nodded to each of hem, and my grin widened when Ginny turned toward the twin's group with an enraged expression. I chuckled to myself and thought, 'This evening is definitely going to be interesting.'

"Guys, this is Xavier Quinsy. He's one of the Quinsy triplets from the Tutshill Tornados."

"Its nice to meet everyone, but if you'll excuse me," he said politely as he walked towards the door, "I've got to go drop the kids at the pool."

A few of the men that currently occupied space in the Buurow guffawed at Xavier's off-color joke. I rolled my eyes and nudged Alex toward Leslie and Ronny. Myself. . . I headed toward Bill and Fleur.

As Fleur and I exchanged the customary kiss on the cheek, I whispered to her, "You're positively glowing, Fleur. It is absolutely smashing."

She grasped my wrist tightly. "You can tell?"

"If you don't want anyone to know, tell Bill to stop rubbing that pretty little belly of yours. When are you telling the rest of the family?"

"Before dinner," she replied.

I kissed her cheek. "Congratulations."

"Thanks," she mumbled and smiled widely.

I nodded and made my way to the group standing in the door. I hugged Alicia and Angelina, shook hands with Aidan, and slapped the others on the back. I threw my arms around George's and Fred's necks and asked, "What do you ladies say to a friendly game of quidditch after dinner?"

"Kaaaaaaatie!"

"Hold that thought," I muttered. "What, Xavier?"

Xavier bounced back into the room followed closely by Andrew. "Andy called, and I told him I was here. I asked Molly, and she said it was okay for him to have dinner, too."

"Fantastic. He can join the quidditch game that we're holding after dinner!" I exclaimed.

Andy agreed, and I took a poll of all those that wished to play. Everyone agreed except for Fleur, and with a wink to me, she agreed to watch the children when we played that evening.

Once I had greeted all of the guests and arranged the after dinner quidditch game, I was at a loss of what to do. As people settled, I became aware of a rift in the group. Xavier, Oliver, Andy, Adrian, and Aidan were sitting in one clump; the Weasley boys, Dean and Lee were also together; the children were huddled together over some game' and the Weasley ladies, along with Angelina, and Alicia were sitting near the door talking animatedly.

I would offer to help Molly with dinner, but I would be in her way more than I would be helpful. I was still in the midst of confusion when I felt a tug at my pants. I looked down to see Alex staring up at me.

"Mommy?" He asked me, his big green eyes were filled with hope.

"Yes, baby?" I asked as I affectionately rumpled his hair.

"Leslie and Ronny won't play with me," his eyes began to fill with tears and my heart tore apart for him.

I got on my knees in front of him, and I asked, "Why, honey?"

At this point, his eyes couldn't hold the tears back. A few salty drops trekked down his fine little cheeks, and I wiped them away. He hugged me tightly around the neck and softly cried.

"They won't play with my because I'm not a real Weasley."

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. They don't know what they're talking about," I said while pushing him away slightly. I wiped away his tears and kissed each of his pink cheeks. "Do you want Mommy to play with you?"

He nodded the affirmative, and as his blonde head bobbed, I questioned, "What would you like to do?"

"I wanna fly, Mommy!"

I nodded. "All right. I'll go grab our coats."

I left the room for Charlie's. Our coats were strewn on the bed. When I returned to the sitting room, I witnessed Alex holding Oliver's hand. Alex smiled brilliantly when he saw me and pulled Oliver toward me. Oliver's hooded sweatshirt fit him snugly, and I couldn't help but access his thick, strong legs as Alex dragged him over. His deep chocolaty eyes shone in laughter, and his hair swished this way and that according to how he walked.

"Mommy, Oliber's going to go flying with us!"

'Oliber?' I wondered in my head. Alex was always very meticulous in his pronunciations, and I was confused by his use of Oliber. Perhaps, Oliver was just rather difficult for him to say.

"Oh really?" I asked as I look up at Oliver.

He shrugged, and Alex said, "Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because I wanted him to."

"Oh, okay." I replied meekly.

I looked up at Oliver, and he shrugged again. "He just wondered over to where I was and asked if I was Oliver Wood. When I told him I was, he replied that I played quidditch with his mommy, Katie, at Hogwarts. He insisted that I come along. I couldn't have said no if I wanted to. T hose little green eyes will go straight to a person's heart."

"Oh, he's manipulative," I replied curtly as I handed Alex his coat.

"Mommy, what's the mean?" He asked as he pulled his coat on.

I pulled my own up over my arms, and I replied, "It means that you can use those dashingly good looks of yours and your brains to get what you want."

"Especially birds, later in life," Oliver said with a wink. "It's how I catch birds."

"You mean girls, Oliber?"

Oliver laughed as we three left the house together. As I grabbed two brooms from the shed, I heard him reply, "Yes, Alex, I mean girls.'

"Gross!" Alex whined. "I hate girls! Girls are icky!"

"Your mommy's a girl," Oliver pointed out.

Alex stomped his foot on the ground. "Mom mommy's cool! She's not like other girls," he insisted.

"Your mom is pretty fantastic, kiddo," Oliver agreed.

A slight blush crept into my cheeks, and I cleared my throat. Oliver turned quickly, and he looked sheepish. I tossed a Comet 360 at him and said, "All is well as long as you don't fly past paddock."

"I've played here before, Katie," Oliver pointed out.

I sighed. "Sorry."

"Mommy!" Alex exclaimed, and my head jerked down. "Make me a quaffle!"

I absent-mindedly transfigured a rock into a quaffle. Alex retrieved it with a squeal of glee and tossed it to Oliver. With a smile, Oliver said, "You have a fairly good arm, boy. You'll make a fine chaser or beater."

A grin spread over Alex's face, and before I could comprehend what happened, Alex and Oliver were on the ground playing catch with one another. I was left on the sideline to observe them.

I was in an odd position. Here I was watching my son playing catch with my ex-best friend. I didn't want to forgive Oliver. . . He had left me high and dry for four years without so much as a letter. At the same time, however, I saw him playing with my son, and I was reminded of the gentle, caring young man that I had been completely infatuated with as a young girl.

I sighed. However, I was a spiteful woman, and I couldn't let myself forgive him. I wouldn't let myself forgive him.

As the time progressed, Oliver began to teach Alex maneuvers that I was quite familiar with. Soon after, Alex's shoulder's drooped, and his body seemed to become fatigued. Eventually, he began to drop the ball, and Oliver took notice.

"Hey," he said softly, "we left your mommy out. Why don't you go see her while I pack up?"

Alex turned toward me, and his eyes grew wide. He rushed over as fast as his size seven feet would carry him. His body was soon flung into my own relaxed one, and his face was nuzzled into my neck.

"Mommy," his warm breath tickled my neck, "I'm sorry that we forgot you."

"It's okay, baby. . . I'm sure it was fun for you to play with Oliver."

"It was," he gushed. "He taught me chaser plays that he used to teach you! Did you see me? Mommy, I want to be a chaser just like you!"

I smiled and replied, "Maybe some day. You're only four. . . Let's focus on bubble baths and Matchbox Cars for now, okay?"

He smiled and turned to Oliver. "Oliber, will you play Matchbox cars with me when we get inside?"

Oliver nodded, and the three of us headed for the house. When we did enter, we were met by complete pandemonium. Upon further inquisition, I discovered that George had revealed to his family that he was in love with Dean; Bill and Fleur had informed that they were going to have another child; and Fred and Angelina had told the family that they were to be married.

Dinner didn't slow down either. Lee informed Alicia that he was head over heels in love with her, Alicia confessed her unyielding love for him, too, and Molly cried throughout the entire dinner. By the time it was time to play the quidditch match, I was nearly sick from all of the love that was floating through the air. I wanted to be in the air, and I wanted to dominate a quidditch game. Godric dammit, I wanted to win. At least that would pick my spirits up.

Once we arrived to the paddock, Bill quickly transfigured some trees into goals. Fred summoned all of the brooms from the broom shed. George transfigured a rock into a scoreboard and charmed it to keep score on its own. I named Oliver and Bill captains.

Oliver quickly called, "I want Team Wood, plus Ginny."

"Team Wood?" I heard Andy question as Fred, George, Angelina, Alicia, Ginny, and I grabbed brooms and sided with Oliver.

"We're the team that won Oliver the Quidditch Cup at Hogwarts his seventh year," Fred explained as I accessed Bill's team.

Bill had four professional players; Andy, Xavier, Adrian and Aidan. He had two weak players in Lee and Dean, but I knew that he would put those great players where they would be strong.

I shook my head. I may have been over stressing the match. I didn't rightly care, however, I couldn't wait to get in the air against some professional quidditch players.

"Wood." Bill called across the pitch.

Oliver's head turned in Bill's direction, and he asked, "Aye, Weasley?"

"Come here, I want to talk to you for a minute."

Oliver nodded and said, "Talk over some of the drills I've mentioned while I go talk with Bill."

As I watched Oliver walk away, I asked, "What plays did he mention?"

Angelina rolled her eyes, and Alicia explained, "The usuals."

"Good, good. Do you think we'll win?" I asked as Oliver placed his hands on his hips. After a few seconds, one of his hips jutted out in the effeminate way that we made fun of him for. Or at least in the way that we used to make fun of him for.

"Who knows," Ginny began. "There are a lot of professionals over there, but I fully intend to catch that snitch before Lynch."

"I think we've got a pretty good shot," George said as he and Fred grinned wickedly.

Alicia placed her hands on her hips much in the manner that Oliver had a couple of minutes before. "Why's that?"

"We're on the team." Fred stated firmly.

"Point being?" Angelina questioned as the twins smirked at one another.

"One," George began, "we're bloody brilliant beaters, and. . ."

"Two," Fred continued, "we never promised that we would play fairly."

"They have an excellent point," I reasoned as Oliver began his walk back over. "Besides, we're still three of the best chasers Hogwarts has ever seen, Ginny's the most superb seeker to ever live, and I guess Oliver isn't so bad."

"It means a lot, Bell. Really. Now, we need to win this match. One, because my pride is at stake; two, because Bill doesn't think his younger siblings will be able to beat him; and three, because Ginny has something to prove to Aidan Lynch."

The team nodded, and Oliver said, "Team Wood on three. One. . . Two. . . Three. . ."

"TEAM WOOD!" We screamed jovially, and we were up in the air in seconds.

Bill and Oliver shook hands, and the balls were released into the air. The quaffle was charmed into the air, and Angelina grabbed it from Adrian's fingertips. She, Alicia, and I passed the ball between ourselves with Adrian, Andy and Xavier on our tails. Alicia passed the quaffle to me, and with a force that I hadn't achieved in years, I lobbed the red ball into the left hoop. The ball brushed against Bill's fingers, and I grinned when he retracted his hand quickly. The tips of his fingers were bright red.

Angelina high-fived me, and we chased after the others. The boys had passed the ball between them, and when they arrived to the other side of the pitch, Adrian had the opportunity to shoot. Oliver easily blocked the shot and tossed the quaffle to Angelina.

At that point, I grasped onto Angelina's broom, and Alicia latched herself about the black girl's middle. This was one of our less used, but highly successful plays, the Slingshot. Angelina threw the ball with all of her might. Bill, who was unsuspecting of the move, was completely unprepared for the shot. The quaffle flew through the right hoop.

As the game ran on, Ginny and Aidan flew high in the sky searching meticulously for the snitch. Fred and George dominated as Beaters, but they took it fairly easy on Dean and Lee. Bill and Oliver did fairly well keeping, and the game was close the entire time. Sort of. . . kind of. . . Okay, honestly, Oliver was doing a spectacular job at keeping our goals, and Bill was doing a shoddy job.

After about an hour, Team Wood was leading 90 to 30. However, after about an hour was when all Hell broke loose on the field. Ginny and Aidan both spotted the Snitch hovering near Fred and George, who were hovering together, more than likely plotting some harmful mischief. Out of pure competition, she and he dove toward the pair without giving thought to the fact that Fred and George would be very startled when they saw two people hurtling full speed straight at them.

Ginny's fingers had just closed around the snitch when the crack of bludgers hitting beater bats rang through the air. Fred and George had defensively hit the bludgers toward Ginny and Aidan. Unfortunately, the bludgers struck both Ginny and Aidan with enough force to knock each from their brooms.

Furthermore, they were each at least 30 feet from the ground, we were all too shocked to react, an there had been a drought that September in Ottery St. Catchpole. The earth was rock hard, and each of the seekers hit with amazing force. I was in shock for a millisecond, but I quickly flew to my friend's side.

People were grounding all around me when I conjured two stretchers. Bill helped me levitate the pair, and he dictated all actions to the group. "Oliver and Adrian, help Katie levitate these two to the house. Fred and George, go explain to Mom what happened. Dean, Lee, Angie, and 'Licia, could you clean this mess up? Xavier and Andy, you can just go to the house with Fred and George. Mom will likely try to kill them, and she won't listen to their side of the story. Help them explain to her what really happened and don't flinch under the look."

"The look?" Andy questioned.

"Aye, the look," George started.

Fred continued, "Is absolutely terrifying."

"Wait, what are you going to do, Bill?" Angelina questioned. Either she didn't appreciate him not doing anything whatsoever, or she was worried about the fact that he was running about like a chicken with its head cut off.

"I'm going to go fetch a medic from the village."

I rolled my eyes as I instructed Oliver and Adrian to levitate Ginny and Aidan to Charlie's room in the Burrow. "Bill," I said gently as I laid my hand on his arm, "I am a trained Medi-Witch, who happens to specialize in Quidditch related injuries."

"Why are you bragging this to me, Katie?" He exclaimed hotly. He had lost his head. "I know what you do for a living, but I really must get a medic!"

I slapped him. "Snap out of it, Bill! I AM A MEDIC! Now, let's get to the house. I'm going to need to bring them to consciousness and check for concussions. Just get inside and help your wife with the kids."

He and I rushed to the house. Once we were inside, I slipped up the stair and away from the yelling of a furious Molly Weasley. I arrived in the room to hear Oliver and Adrian talking softly. I contemplated eavesdropping on them, but I soon realized that I had two patients in there that could be suffering from concussions.

As I entered the room, I asked, "Have either of them regained any type of consciousness?" Each men shook their head in a 'no' answer, and I sighed. McCready and Montgomery would be pissed.

"Enervate!" I shot the spell at both Ginny and Aidan. With moans, they awoke from whatever darkness they were suffering from. Ginny held her head, and Aidan simply laid on his stretcher with his eyes screwed tightly shut. Each were deathly pale, and I assumed that their heads were splitting. I asked each a few questions to determine whether or not they had a concussion.

They did not, but each was suffering from a rather bad headache. However, as I examined each pair, a ridiculous scheme began to hatch in my brain. And when Ginny asked whether or not the pair of them would be okay, a sly grin appeared on my face.

"I'm afraid not. The both of you will be out of practice for a few days."

"Why?!" They both cried.

"Concussions."

"Both of them?" Oliver questioned.

"Indefinitely."

Adrian ran a hand through his thick hair. "Well," he began slowly, "can I move Aidan to my house?"

I shook my head quickly. "I'm afraid not. I need these two to go through as little travelling as possible. In fact, they are each quarantined to this very room, and they are not permitted to leave for three days."

"Katie!" Ginny exclaimed. Her eyes were on fire.

"I'm sorry, Ginny. It cannot be helped. If you want to get better and get back to practice, you will listen to what I tell you. Oliver is fantastic at transfiguration. I'm sure if you're friendly to him, he'll transfigure you two beds rather than that one. For now, I've got to go brew a couple of potions to get you guys on the track toward recovery. . . STUPEFY."

Each fell softly toward their cots, and I dusted my hands together. With a decisive nod of my head, I left the room behind me. Ginny would be pissed when the three days were over, but she would never know that she didn't really have a concussion. The potions I give the pair would be simple vitamin supplement potions, and they would never know that. This would either turn out beautifully, or someone would be dead very soon.

But for now, I had letters to write. Two national teams needed explanations as to why their first string seekers were not going to be around the stadium for a few days.


	16. I Lie to Myself

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better of than I am.**

**Author's Note: I deserve to be lynched... just a little bit. I'm so incredibly sorry that it has been such a long time since I've written anything at all. Senior year was a blast, but it was definitely a lot of really hard work, too. I'm gearing up for college, but I'm going to try to get some hardcore writing in before that starts.**

**Again, I'm terribly sorry that this took so long to get out.**

Edited: 07-03-07  


**International Delight  
**_**Chapter Sixteen: I Lie to Myself**__  
__**(Because I Do it Best)**_

"You're such a douche-bag, Lynch!"

I blanched at her words. I was extremely grateful to the higher powers that had fated Alex's nap time for this hour. Douche-bag was not a term that I wished for the young boy to assume into his vocabulary, and I was certain that more expletives would resonate through the halls of the Burrow.

Ginny and Aidan had been awake now for three days, and they had spent the entire time arguing. They had been awake today for about six hours, and the amount of times they argued had not diminished. I had entered the room only once on this particular day. I allowed myself only enough time to administer a vitamin supplement potion to the pair. Ginny had glared daggers the entire time, and Aidan had looked after me with pleading eyes.

"What do you mean, you're sorry?! You can't apologize to me!"

I shook my head as I watched Alex snoozing on the sofa next to Oliver. Alex had gone back and forth between playing with the Weasley children and Oliver all morning. With the Weasley children, he had played hide-and-seek, and with Oliver, he had played quidditch. Oliver had been telling Alex of his first quidditch game when they had fallen asleep on the sofa.

I mulled over Oliver and Alex's quick-growing relationship . Alex was completely enamored with the man, and Oliver was very good with Alex; he was always gentle, but he was rough enough for Alex to be able to tell he was playing with a man, not his mommy nor children.

I was almost hurt by the level of love Alex was harboring for Oliver. Oliver wasn't a parent of the boy, nor had Alex grown up around the man. There was a smile that graced Alex's lips when he was around Oliver that he had never given to me. The smile was one of pure joy. When Alex was around Oliver, he lit up like a tacky Christmas tree.

Hurt was probably not the best word to use in the description of my feelings. I was hurt, but I was also insanely jealous. Oliver was getting time with my baby while I was stuck on the sidelines observing the game.

I shook these thoughts from my mind. I was beginning to spurn a deeper hatred for Oliver, and it was no doubt very foolish of me. He should not have been faulted for the fact that my son was awe-struck by him.

A small smile filtered over my lips as a cup of hot tea appeared under my nose. I smiled up at Adrian, and with a wink, he asked, "Is this seat taken?"

"No," I replied as I sipped the steaming tea. "Mmm. . . mint and honey! How did you know this was my favorite tea?"

With a cheeky smile, he replied, "A little bird whispered it into my ear."

A slight chortle escaped my lips, and I questioned, "Did this bird happen to be named Molly?"

"Perhaps."

"You have a good source; whomever it may be." I sipped my tea slowly and observed Adrian Troy. He sat, back stiff, and stared into the distance. I f I looked closely, I could tell that he was chewing on his bottom lip in thought.

"Katie," he started while balancing his own cup of tea on a knee, "I meant everything I said in that letter I sent you."

I nearly choked on my steamy drink. I had not been expecting those words to escape from his lips. With a feeble cough, I muttered, "Oh. . ."

Adrian turned smoldering green eyes on me, and I felt my heart skip a beat. I felt foolish as my palms began to sweat. My knees grew weak, and my hands began to tremble.

"I am very sorry that I was such an idiot, Katie." In those deep, passionate eyes, I saw truth and beauty. "I really would like to get to know you and Alex."

As my stomach fluttered painfully, I bit my bottom lip. I glanced at Alex, snuggled up to Oliver, and I saw an opportunity in Adrian. I could get to know him, and he could pull Alex away from Oliver.

"I would really like that, Adrian."

"Fantastic!" He cried joyfully at the same time as a crash sounded from the second floor of the house.

I blanched. I handed Adrian my cup of tea and gave him an apologetic look. He nodded in understanding, and I quickly started my jog up the stairs.

When I arrived to the room, I was shocked to see Aidan standing at the foot of Ginny's cot and shaking in fury. Aidan's bedside table laid on the floor in ruins, and he was yelling at the auburn-haired girl.

I stood in the shadows of the doorway. I would remain hidden there, but I would also be able to hear every word that passed in the room. It would seem that it was time to see whether or not my scheming had been fruitful.

"Ginny, I can't count the number of times that I've told you I'm sorry," he was yelling. "Nor can I count the number of times you've refused my apologies. I can't count the number of times you've cursed my name these past few days, and I cannot even begin to count the times I've regretted sending that letter to you. It was stupid of me, and I know that. I wish that you would forgive me, but I'm not entirely positive you are able to forgive me. . . or anyone."

"But I can tell you one thing, Ginny Weasley, I can count the days I've spent thinking of you and wishing that I could meet you. I can count the number of scrimmages and practice matches of yours that I've been to just so I could glimpse you. I can count all of the times I wished for you to notice me that you never did!"

"Ginny Weasley, I'm in love with you, and you hate me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find Adrian, and I'm leaving. At least when I'm not around you, I can pretend that I've never met you."

Aidan walked from the room, and I grasped his arm. I whispered, "Adrian's in the sitting room."

"Thanks," he muttered, refusing to look at me. I had suspected that he was either crying or on the verge of crying.

I walked into Charlie's room, and Ginny quickly began to focus on her hands. I sat on Aidan's abandoned cot, and I stared at my friend in contemplation. She was nineteen, had a great career, and she was beautiful. . . And here I was, twenty-two, a mom, and miserable because I was failing at parenthood. A resolve began to build within me. I may have allowed myself to wallow in my excrement of pity, but I would not allow her to go down the same disgusting road.

"Ginny," I began, without a single bit of warmth in my voice, "what you're doing is foolish, do you know that?"

She didn't reply to me, so I continued on angrily, "I've been foolish in my life, Ginny, but I've never done something like that. Aidan Lynch is head over heels in love with you, and you have done nothing but scorn him since the day you met him. Yeah, he made a mistake. . . We all make mistakes, but he's right! Are you ever going to forgive anyone? Harry's dead, Ginny; we've all been torn up over it for two years now, and you won't let yourself be happy!"

"I know that you moved to America to escape your mom's pushing and the pressure from the press. Well, guess what, Ginny; you're going to be getting the same pushing and pressuring from me from here on out. I am not going to sit by and watch you make yourself miserable! You just let a good thing walk away from you!"

"What about you, you hypocrite?" She screamed as tears coursed down her face.

"What?" I asked, finally calm.

Ginny's face grew red in anger, and she stood to her feet. "It's been four years, almost five, since you've allowed yourself to date anyone! We all realize that what Seamus did to you was wrong, but you've got a beautiful four year old son that deserves a daddy!"

"Charlie was willing to date you before he died, but you would have nothing to do with him! Oliver Wood is willing to date you now, but you don't even know that because you won't get your head out of your ass long enough to forgive him for things he couldn't control! And don't even get me started about Zachary Norton or Adrian Troy! Have you seen the way Zach stares at you during practice? I'm sure you don't, but he does! Adrian Troy. . . there's no question there; he'd drop anything if you'd just give him a chance! So don't you tell me that I'm making myself miserable, you hypocrite!" She screamed as tears fell down her face.

I stood to my feet. As I walked calmly from the room, I said, "I agreed to date Adrian Tory. We're going out soon."

I bounced down the steps, and my face grew hot as I entered the living room to see those assembled in the household sitting quietly. I shook my head and turned to Alex, who was sitting groggily next to Oliver. "Come on, Alex. We're going home."

"Mommy, I don't want to leave. Oliber's here," Alex said as Adrian and Aidan stood in the corner of the room gathering their things. The resolve that I had been building over the past twenty minutes broke and a sob wracked through my body.

"Fine," I sobbed and raced from the room.

I was reaching for the door handle when Ginny came hurtling down the stairs. "Katie, are you okay?" She cried.

"Oh, sod off!" I screamed and raced from the house. I could barely see for the tears that were in my eyes, but I knew where I was going. My feet carried me deftly toward the springs outside of the Burrow. I collapsed on the bank, and I sobbed.

My son cared more for Oliver Wood than he did for me! H ow was it possible? The four year old had only known the man for four days, and I had been his mom for four years! Sobs ravaged my body, and my arms were soon too weak to support my body weight. I fell heavily onto the ground and breathed in the steamy air that resonated from the spring water.

As I cried, a voice whispered through the clearing. "Katie, why are you crying?" The voice asked, and I shivered uncontrollably. That voice sounded uncannily like. . .

"Charlie?" I questioned as I looked up. His form showed to me through the steam and fog of the hot springs.

"Katie," the apparition pressed gently, "why are you crying?"

"Oh, Charlie," I cried as I tried to sit up, "Alex doesn't love me anymore!"

He shook his foggy head. "That's ridiculous, Katie. Alex loves more than anyone in your life ever will. He loves you more than anyone in your life ever has, and a lot of people have loved you."

"Charlie, he's completely enamored with Oliver Wood as of late! He refused to leave today just because Oliver was here!"

A chuckle escaped the steam-Charlie's lips, and he whispered, "Katie, I think Alex knows something that you don't."

"What?" I cried. Unfortunately, by that time, the Charlie I had just had a conversation with was gone. Why had I just imagined Charlie in the steam of a hot spring anyway? And why in the Hell was the imaginary Charlie so wise? What had he meant by his last cryptic comment?

I began to sob again. I was slowly going crazy. "Katie," George cried as he wrapped his strong arms around my body, "are you okay, doll?"

I wrapped myself up in my best friend and sobbed. "No," I moaned as he rocked me back and forth.

"Katie, Alex is really upset. He doesn't know what he did wrong, and he's just sitting in the living room and sobbing. He won't let anyone come near him, and no, before you ask, not even Oliver," George said gently as he kissed the top of my head. "I understand that you're upset because it seems like you're losing Alex, but the baby needs you, Katie. You're his mommy and nothing will ever replace you."

I sobbed harder, and George pulled me to my feet. He quickly scooped me into his arms bridal style. He allowed me to sob into his shirt the entire way to the Burrow. When we arrived, George dropped me into the porch swing on the back porch and said, "I'm going to go get Alex, and you're going to sit here and get yourself together."

I nodded weakly and began to wipe tears away from my face. Moments later, Alex ran out of the backdoor and latched himself to my legs. I pulled him into my lap and kissed his cheeks. We cried into each other. "Mommy," he moaned, "I'm so sorry."

"Baby, you didn't do anything wrong," I said gently as I wiped the tears out of his eyes.

He returned the favor by wiping the tears from my eyes. Alex replied, "I made you cry; but, Mommy, I love you."

"I know, baby. I was just confused as to why you wanted to be with Oliver more than you wanted to be with me."

Alex shook his head and squeezed me tightly around the middle. As I rocked with him, he said, "Oliber is just my friend. You're my mommy. I love you. I just like playing with Oliber."

"I know, baby, and I'm sorry that I upset you," I cried as I kissed the top of his head.

"I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetie," I replied, and he kissed my cheek.

Ginny walked from the kitchen timidly, and I patted Alex's back. "Hey, why don't you go see what Leslie and Ronny are up to? I need to talk to Aunt Ginny."

"Okay, Mommy!" He said and jumped from my lap jovially. As he raced into the house, he screamed, "Leslie! Ronny! Come play with me!"

Ginny sat next to me on the swing and sniffled momentarily before turning towards me. "Katie, you're right, and I'm wrong."

"Ginny!" I gasped, "This isn't about being right or wrong!"

"No, I guess it isn't," Ginny began with a sigh, "but you were right. I'm making myself miserable, and I know that Harry wouldn't want that. I found Aidan and Adrian before they left, and I apologized to Aidan."

"Oh?" I questioned.

She bobbed her head in the affirmative. "Yeah, and he and Adrian agreed to come to a game soon."

"That's nice," I replied as she leaned her head on my arm.

"And I invited him around for dinner."

I patted her back approvingly and said, "I'm proud of you."

"Well, I figured if you could give Adrian a chance after what happened then I could grow up and forgive Aidan."

"I really am so ridiculously happy for you, Ginny."

"Katie, thank you for helping me see what I needed to do."

I smiled. "Anytime, doll."


	17. Your Pain Was My Pleasure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better of than I am.**

**Author's Note: As you may have noticed, if you've been keeping up with this story, I have recently edited the first sixteen chapters (nothing hardcore, just some spelling and data mistakes that needed to be fixed), and I lowered the rating to T after some advice from a nice young lady. You may have also noticed that I am getting this update out much quicker than I normally do, and I hope you're relieved/excited. I just want you all to know that I had an extremely hard time writing this chapter, but I'll elaborate in the next update (because I don't want to ruin the surprise). I hope you enjoy this and aren't too upset with me.**

**P.S. I have a shout out. . . HAPPY BIRTHDAY, AMERICA!**

**  
**

**International Delight  
Chapter Seventeen: Your Pain Was My Pleasure  
(Your Sorrow My Joy)**

Over the next several weeks, I found myself to be in a rut. I was not necessarily unhappy, but I wasn't jumping for joy all of the time, either. I was comfortable with my job (save for the time I spent avoiding Oliver Wood and Zachary Norton); I was comfortable with my growing relationship with Adrian (for the most part); and I was more than pleased to find that Aidan and Ginny were actually getting on fantastically.

I laid on my bed on the evening of my twenty-third birthday, and I sighed. I found myself stuck in a world of mediocrity, and I was sickened by the fact that I was complacent with it. I shook my head and sat up as I heard Alex enter the room.

"Mommy, is it time for me to go to Ginny's yet?" He asked excitedly as he bounced up and down on the balls of his feet.

I smiled. Alex's hair flapped wildly into his face, and he was all smiles. Adrian and I had set a date months ago for my birthday; and while Alex had been invited along, he had asked to just spend the evening with Ginny. She had graciously agreed to watch him, and Alex had been in my room every ten minutes since five o' clock asking me if it was time to go.

I glanced at my clock. It was five minutes to seven, and I was set to meet Adrian around seven-thirty at the restaurant, _Ricardo's_, in Diagon Alley. Alex continued to look at me hopefully, and I sighed. "Let me grab my cloak, sweetie."

"Woo-hoo!" He screamed as he ran from my room.

I shook my head and laughed after him. I climbed from my bed and checked my reflection in the mirror. I wore a clingy black dress that had thin spaghetti straps, a very low dip in the back, and a relatively low-cut front. It fell just above my knees, and it was actually of my own design (of course, with a bit of pushing from Ginny to make the scoop in the back lower and lower until it fell to just above my backside). Ginny had also lent me a pair of strappy black heels and had pulled my hair into an up-do that showcased my great grandmother's diamond earrings and necklace.

I waved my wand over my face in a last minute touch-up of my make-up, and I slung the nicer of my three winter cloaks over my arm. "Are you ready, Alex?" I called as I walked toward the front door. He raced in from the living room with his own cloak clutched tightly in his hands (Ginny had demanded he bring it incase they found themselves wanting to leave the house).

"I'm ready!" He bellowed, and he opened the door for me. I patted him on the head and charmed the door locked.

"How do I look, kiddo?" I asked as we walked down the hall to Ginny's flat.

I had just knocked on the door when Alex said, "Mommy, you look gorgeous! If Adrian doesn't like it, he's a queer." He was very matter-of-fact in his statement.

"Alexander James Bell!" I scolded as the door opened to reveal a smiling Ginny. "Where in the world did you learn that?"

Alex pointed to Ginny coyly. "That's what she said to Aidan! She said that if Adrian didn't like your dress, he was a queer. But, Mommy, what's a queer?"

I looked to Ginny with a glare before saying, "It's a very nasty term for someone who is a little different. I don't want to hear that word come out of your mouth again, you hear?"

"Yes, Mommy, I'm very sorry."

I nodded. With a ruffle of his hair, I sent him on his way. Ginny had the humility to look sheepish when I turned towards her once more. "well, it's true, Katie! You look so absolutely fabulous, and if Adrian doesn't see that, he's queer!"

"Or blind. Katie, you look gorgeous," Aidan asserted while wrapping his arms around Ginny's waist. "if something happens with Adrian and it doesn't work out, you can go right on ahead and call me." Ginny elbowed him lightly, and they both laughed.

"I'll remember that, Aidan," I said before calling into Ginny's flat, "Alex, you had better behave for Ginny! If you don't, you won't fly for a week!"

There was an audible gasp from inside, and the three of us shared a smile. "I'll be good; I promise!"

"Thanks a ton, Ginny. I shouldn't be too awful late."

Ginny smirked. With an overdone wink, she said, "You can stay out all night if you like. I've got my two favorite boys here."

Aidan kissed her cheek, and I chortled. "Ginny, you're absolutely incorrigible."

"You love me," she said, and I rolled my eyee before apparating away. I threw my cloak over my shoulders, and I tapped the appropriate brick to gain admittance to Diagon Alley. I side-stepped a puddle of water on the cobblestone street, and I delicately paved my way towards the ritzy restaurant.

Snow began to fall gently, and I giggled as it stuck in my hair and on my cloak. I always loved to see snow on my birthday, but we were going through an Indian summer in Tennessee and snow was out of the question as a much-wanted birthday present. I stopped in the middle of the street and caught a flake on my tongue before giggling madly.

People soon began to stare, and I resumed my walk to _Ricardo's_. Upon entering, I was bathed in a warm air of quiet murmuring and soft orchestral music. The entire place was illuminated in gold, and a sheer sense of aesthetic pleasure bled from the room.

"May I help you?" A voice called from my left, and I turned to see a squat little man in a fancy set of black dress robes.

"Yes," I began as _Sleepers Wake_ by Johann Sebastian Bach lofted through the air, "I'm meeting someone here. We have reservations for seven-thirty."

"What are the names, Miss?"

"Ms. Katelinn Bell and Mr. Adrian Troy."

The wizard stared into his book and nodded deftly. "Of course, Ms. Bell, you are down for seven-thirty. May I take your cloak?" I nodded, and he removed the black material from my shoulders. I shivered in delight as the warm air kissed my skin.

As I followed him through the room, I could feel the eyes of the other diners on me. I felt beautiful, but at the same time, I felt crazily insecure. I was not accustomed to this level of attention, and I wasn't quite sure as to how to handle it. I smiled uneasily.

"Here you are, Ms. Bell. I'll escort Mr. Troy back when arrives. Is there anything I can get for you while you wait?"

"A water would be fantastic, thank you."

The man nodded and waved his wand. A water appeared on the table, and the wizard disappeared. As I began the wait for Adrian, I began to think back on my relationship with the world-famous quidditch player.

I had awoke the morning after our first official date to find a shocking article in _The Daily Prophet_.

**Irish National Quidditch Star Dates American National Healer**

**Famed chaser for the Irish National Quidditch Team, Adrian Troy, was**

**seen in Hogsmeade yesterday evening with Katie Bell, the new healer  
for the American National Quidditch Team, and her son Alexander.**

**There had been much speculation about a relationship between the pair **

**in early September, but all speculations were shot down by Ms. Bell during**

**a press conference a week later. She asserted that the only relationship**

**between her and the Irish man was business like and purely platonic.**

**However, the pair seemed more than cozy last night as they strolled**

**about the village hands entwined, laughing and talking as young Alex**

**ran ahead of them. The pair stopped into The Three Broomsticks for a **

**bite of dinner with the young Mister Bell at around seven-thirty last night.**

**"I'm not usually one for gossip," Madam Rosemerta, the patron of the fam-**

**ed bar told us in an interview, "but I've known both Katie Bell and Adrian**

**Troy since they were in school. Katie was a Gryffindor, Adrian a Ravenclaw.**

**"When I heard that they were involved, earlier this year that is, I had my doubts.**

**Katie is a very serious young lady, not much of a dater; and Adrian has al-**

**ways been a ladies' man. I wasn't shocked when Katie told the press that **

**they were not remotely involved romantically. She's a really good girl."**

**"However, they came into the bar last night, and they were so happy toget-**

**her. They were all laughter and smiles. When they left, they were holding**

**hands, and he was toting a sleeping Alex for her. They were really cute."**

**A very cute couple, indeed; but will they be able to withold the pressure**

**of working for two different national quidditch teams? Time will only tell. **

The article had been accompanied by a photograph of us walking from Hogsmeade, our hands entwined. Adrian was, indeed, toting a sleeping Alex.

Since that particular article ran, he and I had been the topic of both British and American papers and magazines. Many asked for interviews, but we did not give them. Sure, the relationship wasn't a secret, but the entire world didn't need to know every single detail.

Our relationship had not been sexual, either. I wasn't ready for that level in the relationship, and he seemed to understand that. We had grown closer and closer together, and I could now confidently say that I loved him. In fact, I had planned to tell him that very night over dinner.

I glanced down at my wrist watch. If he ever arrived to _Ricardo's_, that was. It was nearly eight-thirty, and i had seen hide nor hair of the man. He was usually very punctual, and I was beginning to grow worried. Sure, he had been late to everything for the past two weeks or so, but that was due to his cousin (from Australia) that he had been showing around. No matter what, though, he was never an hour late.

I dropped a few galleons on the table, and I left the dining room for the entrance hall. I demanded my cloak and left the building. I was worried about Adrian; we had discussed the date a mere week earlier, and he wasn't the one to forget things.

I was hindered in getting to Adrian's place, however, by the crowd of paparazzi surrounding the door. "Ms. Bell! Ms. Bell!" They screamed at me as camera bulbs flashed. I began to push my way through the crowd when a reporter called, "Ms. Bell, why aren't you here with Adrian Troy? Are you here with another man?"

I was appalled by the question. Of course I wasn't there with another man! "No comment!" I cried, and I tuned on the spot, apparating. I stood outside of Adrian's door for a moment completely shell-shocked. I hated the paparazzi.

A shake of the head cleared my thoughts, and I glanced up to notice lights burning brightly throughout Adrian's home. How peculiar. I knocked smartly at the door and was instantaneously met with the sound of shuffling feet.

The door opened to reveal Adrian in a pair of boxers with his hair completely disheveled. He was flushed. "Katie," he whispered hoarsely.

"Adrian, are you okay? You never showed up for our date tonight, and I thought something might be wrong."

"Our date?" He questioned.

"Yes," I answered slowly, "at _Ricardo's_. Its my birthday. We've had this planned for a few weeks now. Are you sick?"

"Uhm. . . I. . ." I heard the sound of more shuffling behind him in the house and an extremely feminine voice ask, "Adrian, baby, who's there? I have all the stuff ready for cops and robbers, and I know you've been a very very bad boy."

My mouth dropped as he blanched. I pushed the door open further to reveal a young woman in a very revealing police officer costume. "Is she your cousin?" I cried as a tear slipped down my face. A flash of a bulb accompanied the slap across the face that I delivered to him at that exact moment.

As I apparated away, I did not need to see the reporter and photographer behind me to know that the story would be posted all over the papers the next morning. I collapsed heavily against the door I had apparated outside of, and I wailed loudly. My heart was once again breaking into thousands of tiny pieces.

The door wrenched open, and I heard a shocked cry of, "Katie!"

"George," I moaned, "what the Hell's wrong with me?"

"Katie, here let me help you up!" George pulled me to my feet and helped me into his house. He pulled my cloak off of me and deposited me in an armchair. "My Godric, Katie," he breathed, "you look awfully amazing."

"I know," I cried as I ripped my hair from the fancy up-do Ginny had worked so hard on. "And I don't understand it!"

"Katie, you don't understand what? Why are you crying?"

As I choked on my sobs, I heard two more people enter the room. "Hey, George, Oliver and I were going for a drink, and we wanted to see if you. . . Whoa!"

"Fred, now is not the time."

The older twin breathed out from between his teeth. "Obviously, what happened?"

"I don't know; she won't calm down. Katie, darling, what happened?" George asked as he, Fred and Oliver settled on the sofa across from my chair.

"I don't understand it!" I cried.

"Yes," George replied, "we've established that. What don't you understand?"

I wiped the tears from my face and eyes to reveal three worried faces staring back at me. "Am I ugly?"

"No!" All three of them cried. "Katie, you're beautiful," George interjected.

"You're pretty even when you cry," Fred offered.

"Do I have a bad personality?"

"Goodness, no, Katie!" Oliver cried. "You have the greatest personality that I have ever known."

"Then am I dumb?" I cried as I began to shake in anger.

George shook his head no as Fred answered, "You're no Hermione Granger, but you're definitely a Hell of a lot smarter than any of us lot."

"Am I clingy? Pushy? Too indifferent? A bitch? A prude?"

"No!" They all answered over and over again.

"Then what is it?" I screamed as the tears poured freely again. None of them said a word, and I continued, "What is it, then, that makes it okay for every man I fall in love with to break my heart?"

George gasped audibly before angrily asking, "What did he do, Katie? Because I'll break his legs!"

"His arms would be better," Oliver growled, and Fred finished for him, "because he is a chaser."

"He cheated on me," I cried, "probably because I wouldn't have sex with him! Why do men do this? What makes it okay for them to break my heart?"

I allowed none of them the time to answer before I continued on. "I loved Seamus, and he left me after he knocked me up. Charlie I was head-over-heels for; but after he took my virginity, he was back to Romania and the war! And then he died on me.

"Adrian was the first man I dated in years, and he cheated on me with some other whore! Because I wouldn't have sex with him, he cheated on me!"

"Katie, are you going to be okay?" Oliver asked as I ranted.

I pulled one of Ginny's shoes from my feet and threw it at him forcefully. "And don't even get me started on you, Oliver Wood! You're the worst of all of them!" I threw the other shoe and was only partially satisfied when I heard him gasp in minute pain.

"Oliver, you were my best friend, and I was in love with you! It wasn't a secret!" I stood at this point, and my whole body shook with fury. "I know you knew! You told George you knew in your seventh year!

"But you didn't do anything about it, did you, Oliver-I'm-too-good-for-Katie-Bell-Wood? Of course you didn't! You didn't even have the courtesy to tell me that you weren't remotely interested!" I screamed.

"And then you were gone, off to play quidditch for Puddlemere! I was happy for you, Oliver, but you could have at least come to see me when I was in the hospital when I was cursed! Charlie flew in from Romania, and you couldn't even fly in from Puddlemere?

"And then what did you do?" I cried. "You up and disappeared for four years; and when I finally see you again, you want to be all buddy-buddy? Oh no, Oliver Wood! Oh no!"

"Katie, I. . . " He stammered.

"Katie, I. . ." I mocked before screaming, "You, Oliver Wood, are worse than any other man I've ever loved, and I hate you for it! I hate you so completely!"

Fred and Oliver stared at me in shock, and George merely shook his head. He had told me to tell Oliver how I felt, but I was sure that I hadn't done it in quite the fashion he had imagined. "I'm going home," I said in a defeated manner. "Thanks for taking care of me, George."

I apparated directly from George's house to my bedroom in my American flat. I fell heavily onto my bed and allowed myself to cry until I was utterly exhausted.

I groggily awoke the next morning to the sound of tapping on my bedroom window. I used my wand to flick the window open and took my mail from the three owls. Each soared from my room. I immediately burned the letter that had Adrian's scrawl on it. Next was a letter from Ginny.

**Nov. 29**

**Katie,**

**George owled me last night after you left his house. He told me what happened with Troy, and I'm very sorry to hear that it ended like that.**

**Alex is fine, and he is welcome here until you come to get him.**

**I hope you're well.**

**Love,**

**Ginny**

**P.S. The Prophet has a lovely photo this morning.**

I pulled _The Prophet_ from below the ashes of Adrian's letter. On the front was a large photo of me slapping Adrian. His bimbo was in the background of the photo looked shocked. Every time I saw my photo-self slapping Adrian, I felt a bit better. The article blazed up at me.

**Adrian Troy Takes a Dramatic Beating;  
Ex-Girlfriend Katie Bell Catches Him in the Act**

**The match made in Heaven, Katie Bell and Adrian Troy. At least**

**it had seemed that way for the several weeks that the pair dated.**

**They were hardly seen without the other, and they seemed to be**

**in complete bliss. That ended early yesterday evening at Troy's home.**

**The Prophet had received a tip that the (not-so) happy couple was**

**to dine together at Ricardo's (in Diagon Alley) at around seven-**

**thirty. With the hope of catching Ms. Bell and Mr. Troy in a good**

**mood after dinner, Prophet reporters flocked to the scene, hopeful.**

**However, at around eight-thirty, Ms. Bell was seen leaving the**

**restaurant along, and she seemed quite distraught. "Ms. Bell**

**came in promptly at seven-thirty," the greeter told the Prophet.**

**"But Mr. Troy never showed up. She left in an hour, and she**

**seemed much more worried than anything. She wasn't angry.**

**Ms. Bell refused to answer questions, and she quickly apparated**

**away. One Prophet reporter had the idea to apparate to Troy's**

**house, and he arrived as Bell pushed the door open to reveal**

**that a scantily clad Troy had a scantily clad house guest. Bell**

**slapped Troy (see photo above), and she once again was gone.**

**The match made in Heaven quickly ended in Hell.**

I crumpled the paper and threw it on the floor. I buried myself back beneath my mound of blankets and allowed myself to cry some more. After what I said to Oliver the night before, it would have seemed that Adrian Troy was the very least of my worries.


	18. Come Back

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

**Author's Note: So... here are the two main reasons the last chapter was really difficult for me to write. 1) I love Oliver Wood, and I hate being mean to him. 2) I was really beginning to like Adrian Troy as a character; I've been planning on this for him since I started the story and introduced him, but I found myself terribly attached to him. (Because I'm dumb.) **

**In other news, I have the next three chapters completely written. I'm currently writing chapter twenty-two, and I hope to have between 25 and 30 chapters when I am done with this fanfiction. Speaking of being finished with this fanfiction, I plan to have it finished and posted before the new book is released. My reasoning behind this is, every time I'm in the middle of an HP fic when the book comes out, something happens that keeps me from finishing the fic. I'm positive that mine and JK's endings for the war just aren't the same, so I'm going to get this done as quickly as possible. Be looking for quick updates.**

**International Delight**

**Chapter Eighteen: **_**Come Back  
(And Let Me Tell You Off Again)**_

Avoiding both Oliver and Zach, along with the press, seemed to be much more difficult after my very public break-up with Adrian Troy. Oliver always tried to corner me, Zach would not stop throwing suggestive glances at me, and I could not go anywhere without the press breathing down my neck.

Alex and Krystal both had birthdays fast approaching, and Krystal's winter break from Hogwarts was drawing ever nearer. I found myself in desperate need of a trip to Red Ash, the wizarding enclave of New York City. Ginny was busy, but I knew that Molly would be more than happy to watch Alex while I bought birthday and Christmas gifts.

My big problem was finding someone to go with me. George was out of the question, Weasley Wizard Wheezes was being slammed this season; Fred and Angelina were far too busy with wedding plans; Lee was away working in Japan; and Alicia was too wrapped up with her misery of being without Lee for a few months.

The answer arrived after some time of thinking, and I could have hit myself for not thinking of it sooner. Xavier would go with me if I only asked.

I whistled and called, "Hey, Newton, c'mere boy!"

The owl hooted excitedly. he hadn't made a delivery in a very long time. "Would you like to take a long trip, Newt? It will take a few days at least."

The owl hooted in what I imagine was excitement, and I nodded deftly. "Good, I still have to write the letter. I'll call for you again when its done."

"Who are you writing, Mommy?" Alex asked from behind me. His hair was disheveled, and his pajamas were rumpled horribly.

"Xavier; would you like to say anything to him?" I asked as he groggily rubbed his eyes.

"Tell Xav I said hi and that I miss him!" He said happily.

"All right, kiddo! Hey, Coach Montgomery invited you around for training today if you'd like to come."

"Cool!"

I smiled before insisting that he go get dressed. He left the room smiling broadly. With a chuckle, I began my letter.

**Nov. 30**

**Xavier,**

**Salutations! Greetings! Hey! Hallo! Hi! **

**Sorry, darling, I'm just trying to get a few hellos in there to make up for the fact that we haven't talked since that night at the Weasley's. I'm terribly upset by our lack in correspondence, too.**

**Let's see, what has happened since I last saw you? I believe you were there for George's and Dean's announcement of their relationship. The family took the news okay, and they are (the boys, that is) extremely happy.**

**Fred and Angelina are doing well, also. They haven't been able to keep their hands off of one another, and the wedding isn't until next June!**

**Some of the biggest news, I suppose, would be of the quick growing relationship between Ginny and Aidan Lynch. He apologized to her profusely, and she found it within herself to forgive him. They've been dating ever since, and I wouldn't be surprised if Aidan proposes to her soon. He is the best thing that's happened to her since Harry died.**

**I also suppose its no secret what happened between Adrian and I. He kept pushing for me to go on a date with him, I finally did, and we began to date regularly. Apparently, however, he got bored of me quickly. Ginny kept the clipping from the Prophet of me slapping him. He deserved it.**

**Anyway, my birthday was two days again, and Alex turns five in ten days. To top that off, Krystal comes of age on the twenty-third! I still have to go to New York City to get birthday presents and Christmas presents. Would you like to come with me? I'd love to catch up with you.**

**Just pop in when you get this and let me know.**

**I miss you somethin' fierce.**

**Love,**

**Katie B.**

**P.S. Alex says hello and that he misses you.**

I called Newton back into the room, and I quickly sent him on his way toward the delivery (Tutshill, Wales, would take him a few days). Alex entered back into the room, and he was bundled in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt from a muggle television program he was fond of. (The Power Rangers, I believe, and all I knew was that the green ranger was his favorite).

I tossed him his gloves, scarf and hat before getting up and dressing in winter accessories of my own. We examined one another's clothing choice before leaving for the pitch. Upon arrival, we discovered all of the team (including reserves) up in the air with Zach. He was yelling defensive nonsense at them.

"Hey, Coach," I called as Alex and I approached Montgomery and Hatfield.

Coach Montgomery smiled widely before exclaiming, "Hey, there, darlin'! I see Alex saw fit to grace us with his presence today."

"He was more than exuberant over the invite, Phil," I stated as the teams started their drills. I watched as the players weaved in and out of one another and tossed/hit/searched for the various quidditch balls.

"Alex!" Montogomery boomed, and my son flew to my side immediately.

He clutched onto my blue jeans as he stammered, "Yes, sir?"

"I understand that you're interested in being a chaser, boy."

"Yes," he stammered, "I want to play as a chaser."

"Well, today's a day for defense and Coach Hatfield doesn't have much to do. Would you like to take a crash course in chasing with him?"

"I'd love to!" Alex cried, and he finally let loose of his death grip on my pants. Montgomery nodded towards Hatfield, and the balding man led my son away.

"Ms. Bell," Montgomery began while watching his team play against its mates, while Zach sped through the players shouting defensive tactics and correcting mistakes, "all players have weaknesses."

"Mhm," I murmured.

"King," he pointed to the black man I had met on my first day, "accidentally puts a spin on the quaffle if he lobs it solely with his right hand."

"Mhm. . ."

"Madelyn O'Reilly hits stronger with her left arm, while her sister hits stronger with her right."

"Okay."

"Lawson is pretty weak on left handed throws; he's a righty through and through. Williams," he was pointing to the player who had been scared of his physical, "is too terrified to fly upside down."

"Yes, but what are you getting at, Phil?" I questioned. I had no idea as to where this conversation was going.

He pointed to the sky. He was pointing straight to Oliver, who was blocking shot after shot with ease. "Wood is the point of this conversation, Ms. Bell. I understand that you played chaser for him for three years?"

"That is correct, sir."

"Bell, Wood has never missed a single block," Montgomery stressed. "Every player has a weakness, Bell, and we cannot figure out Wood's. We would like to figure out what it is before our opponents do; we'd like to work with him on it. I figured that. . ."

I interrupted him. "That since I played chaser for him for three years, I might know what his weakness is, right?" I asked with a sigh. I didn't want to talk about Oliver, much less work with him.

"Correct," Montgomery confirmed.

"You are quite right," I replied with a curt nod. "My weakness became a strength with a bit of work, and Wood has never blocked a shot I make for the inside rim of the left hoop, simply because the force of my throw and the slight spin of the quaffle always sends it through the outside rim of the left hoop."

"Ah. . ."

"You see, Phil, Wood's one really weakness is that he can't block a shot made towards the extreme outside of the left hoop," I said matter-of-factly.

"Could you show me?" He questioned eagerly.

"Uhm," I scratched the back of my neck. "I could, but I would need a broom and a set of chaser's gloves."

"Done," he replied before screaming, "NORTON!"

Zach flew over to us and hovered a few feet about us. He smiled warmly at me as Montgomery said, "Get all of the players out of the sky except for Wood. Ms. Bell, a broom and chaser's glovers are behind you."

I turned to see that there was indeed a broom and set of gloves behind me. I pulled the gloves on and shouldered the broom as thirteen players grounded around me. Montgomery tossed me the quaffle and jerked his head toward Oliver.

I nodded and said, "I'm going to mix it up at first. You know, only throwing the one I told you about every now and then, but then, I'll throw it more and more often until its the only thing I'm throwing."

He nodded, and I kicked off from the ground. I zoomed up until I was level with Oliver. "What are you doing up here, Bell?" he shouted as I chucked the quaffle for the right hoop.

He easily caught it as I replied, "It's one on one, Wood. Montgomery found out that I played chaser on your Hogwarts team for three years, and he wanted to see what I could do against you."

He tossed the quaffle back, and I weaved for a few moments before tossing for the center of the left hoop. "Why?" He questioned, and the quaffle was back in my hands.

"No idea." Center hoop; blocked.

"There has to be a reason, Bell."

"Okay," I mumbled as I wound up and aimed for the inside of the left hoop, "maybe there is."

"No!" Was the strangled cry that escaped his lips as the quaffle grazed his fingertips and passed through the outside of the left hoop. As I retrieved the quaffle, he cried, "You came up here to prove that you could get a quaffle through?"

"Well," I tossed for the outside of the right hoop. He easily caught it. "Yeah. Phil wanted to see your weakness, and I agreed to show him."

"Why?" He screamed as he threw the furiously red ball back at me roughly. My fingers stung even though I wore gloves to protect them.

I lobbed the ball for his weak spot and beamed as he missed it once again. As I retrieved the quaffle and tossed it again, once more for his weak spot, I called, "I told you already. Phil wanted to see your weakness as a keeper!"

He growled angrily, and before I could register what had happened, we were in an intense quidditch/yelling battle. I tossed the quaffle with all of my might, and he always tossed it back, equally as hard. The only shots that made it through were those that went to the far outside of the left hoop.

"Does Coach really want to see what you can do, Bell," he screamed as his face reddened in anger, "or were you just boasting that you were so good at what you do that you have to come up here and prove it?"

I growled in anger and, in an agressive manner, tossed the quaffle at him. "I don't boast, Wood!"

"Oh, so then you just came up here to bitch some more about being angry with me?" He cried as he threw the quaffle back with excessive force.

I scowled and lobbed the quaffle, but I wasn't aiming for the hoops. I was aiming for his head. "Cheap shot, Bell! Are you so angry that you could injure me?" He bellowed.

I was shaking in anger, but I couldn't let the bloody idiot get a rise out of me. He would think he won, and I was not giving him that satisfaction. "What? Have you not got anything to say? Surely you didn't get it all off of your chest at George's place!"

I still refused to answer and merely continued to violently and angrily chuck the quaffle at the loops. "Oh, so you did get it all off of your chest at George's palce? Well, let me tell you something Miss Katie-I'm-a-Complete-Bitch-Bell; yeah, I knew you were in love with me my seventh year. And yeah, I did tell George that I knew.

"Bell, I didn't bother myself about your feelings because all I wanted was the cup! I didn't want a relationship, and especially not with a crazy girl that was three years younger than me. I was so glad to get out of Hogwarts, so I could get away from you!"

His words stung, but I still didn't dare respond. I was afraid if I did try to do anything other than toss the quaffle, it would end up in me attempting to kill the bloody arrogant Scotsman.

"Still not saying anything? Has the flobberworm got your tongue?" He jaunted, and I began to throw for the shots he missed. That shot was all I was planning to throw from then on out.

"Yeah, Bell, I quit talking to you after Hogwarts because I wanted you off of my back! I was going to be a quidditch star, and I didn't need a set of fifteen year old baggage. Getting picked up by Puddlemere was the best thing that every happened to me because it got me away from you!"

"Oh, and he added as an afterthought, "and what I did those four years I disappeared is none of your damn business!"

I threw a particularly hard shot for his weak spot, and he bellowed, ""Dammit, Bell, just quit throwing them there!"

"No," I cried, and I chucked the quaffle with all of my might. I was shocked when Oliver threw himself in front of the red ball in an attempt to block it. The quaffle struck him smartly across the face, and there was an audible crack followed quickly by a crunch as the ball fell away.

One look at him told me all I needed to know. His left eye was blackening quickly, his nose spurted blood and stood at an awkward angle, and his jaw began to swell before my eyes. "DAMMIT, BELL!" He screamed, and I blanched.

"Get to the bench, Wood," I commanded; and for a split second, I could tell that he considered not obeying me. However, he smartened up and flew his way towards the benches, his teammates, and two of his coaches.

"Sit," I demanded as I pulled the gloves from my hands and grabbed for my wand. "Next time, Mr. Wood," I said as I set about de-purpling his eye and resetting his bones, "I would suggest that you not try to catch the quaffle with your face."


	19. Until Then You Can Run Away

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by someone who is a hell of a lot well off than I am.**

**Author's Note: Quick update! Woot. There isn't much to say other than I'll be traveling Monday and I have college orientation from Tuesday-Wednesday. So it is likely that the next update will not be until Thursday or Friday. I hope you enjoy! The title is taken from a Cartel song.**

**International Delight  
Chapter Nineteen: Until then You Can Run Away**

**(Do Your Best to Hide Your Face)**

Xavier laughed over lunch a few days later. "You really told him not to try to catch the quaffle with his face? That's all you said to him? Even after what he said to up in the air?"

"Of course that's all I said to him," I replied, and the man roared with laughter.

"You're saucy, Kates. Really saucy." We were currently sitting in some uptown cafe called The Transforming Pumpkin in the Red Ash (wizarding) District of New York City. Xavier had replied immediately that he would love to come with me for my trip to Red Ash, and we had chosen to rendezvous for a day trip at twelve noon in the small cafe.

The time was now one-thirty, and we decided that story time was finally over and the shopping could commence. We left the little cafe and quickly began to travel up and down the streets, searching for birthday presents for both a five year old wizard and for a witch coming of age, not to mention an abundance of Christmas gifts for a plethora of other people.

"So why was he so angry at you in the first place?" He asked as we entered a quidditch shop.

As I examined a child-sized chaser's kit, I replied, "Well, there are two things that can be the reasoning behind that."

"What are they?" He questioned as I decided to buy the kit.

"Well, there's the first and most obvious reason," I replied as we walked the selection to the check-out counter. "Which is that I went up there and easily got the shots past him in front of his coaches and teammates; whom, may I remind you, had never seen him miss a block."

He nodded as I paid for the kit and waited for my change. "the other reason is far more complex."

"Uhm, all right."

"Its a long story," I pushed as we left the quidditch shop.

"I've got all day," he demanded.

And that he did. As we walked from shop to shop buying a plethora of gifts, I explained the entire history between Oliver Wood and myself. "Well," I began, "I met Wood when I came to Hogwarts to study. He was a fourth year when I was a first."

"Wood was the hot-shot quidditch player, straight on the road to the captaincy. I was a first year that had flown my entire life and tossed a quaffle with my father for years.

"Near the end of my first year, Wood began scouting our flying practices in hopes of finding some new talent for the next season; he needed a chaser and a seeker. Apparently, the detentions he received for skipping History of Magic very day to watch our flying lessons were worth it. He approached me within a month of school ending and raved about my flying and technique, and he asked me if I would be willing to practice with him after lessons every day to see if I could be a good chaser or seeker.

"The after school flying lessons went really well, and he decided that I would do fairly well as a chaser. He ever got Angelina and Alicia to come down quite a few times to practice with me. As the school year ended and summer began, he owled me and demanded that I practice every day. I would owl him back assuring him that I did.

"Somewhere between all of that correspondence, we discovered that he actually lived about a thirty minute walk away from me, and he started to come over each day to train. We ran four to five miles daily, we lifted weights for upper body strength, we practiced flying maneuvers, and we practiced sun-up to sun-down with a quaffle.

"Through spending all of our summer together, we grew a quick and strong friendship. He got his captaincy letter in July, and he demanded that I try out for the Gryffindor team. I did, and I made it. However, we didn't immediately have a seeker.

"Wood and I were still really optimistic about our chances for the cup, so we continued to train before and after lessons every day. I was the only person on that team that didn't care about the ridiculous amount of practices Wood put us through. We got Harry on the team, and we knew we would win the cup.

"The year came to an end, and the cup slipped through our fingers. We were not daunted, however. We trained again that summer and was confident for the next season. However, the Chamber of Secrets was opened that year, and the quidditch season was cancelled. We trained harder than ever the next summer; it was Wood's last chance to win the cup, and I was willing to do anything to help him get it.

"I didn't realize it that summer, but I was totally in love with my best friend. However, as the next school year began to pass, and we fought for the quidditch cup, i realized that I had a huge crush on him. However, I cared more about him getting the cup than I did about any type of relationship.

"My feelings were far from a secret, but I didn't shout them out for all of the Gryffindor Tower to know. Wood knew how I felt; he told George he did; but he didn't act upon his feelings. He didn't even have the decency to tell me he wasn't interested. I didn't let it bother me; I wanted that cup.

"We won the cup that year, and any semblance of best-friendship we had began to disappear. He was picked up almost immediately after school by Puddlemere United for their reserve team. We obviously didn't train that summer as we had in the past. The letters eventually just quit coming.

"He showed up at a Tri-Wizard Tournament event and was distraught to learn that quidditch had been cancelled for the year and the hedges were being grown on his precious field. After chit-chat like that, he was gone again. I would see things about him every now and then in papers.

"I tried moving on. I lost my virginity to Charlie Weasley, and I eventually began to date and have sex with Seamus Finnegan. I thought I was in love with him, but he dumped me when he found out that I was pregnant. Seamus wanted nothing to do with me then.

"The war became far worse and all news of Wood disappeared completely. I don't know if he joined the Order of the Phoenix, or if he just went to another country. One thing was for sure, however, he was no longer playing for Puddlemere, and no one knew where he was.

"My heartache was fierce, but I began to get over him with time. I hadn't heard a damn thing about him until he showed up on the airplane to America. When I saw him, it was instantaneous and spontaneous. I felt a girlish flutter in my chest at the same time that I felt a womanly wrath in the pit of my stomach.

"I was momentarily pleased to see him, but then I realized that I hated him so completely. He has tried for the past months to be chummy with me, but I've refused to have it. I just can't let myself forgive him.

"I began to date Adrian partly because I was uncomfortable with how close Alex was getting with Wood. I thought Alex would quit asking about and wanting to see him. It worked for the most part.

"The same night I caught Adrian with that other girl, I went to George's; he's the best to be around when you're upset. Well, Fred and Wood showed up, and I blew up on Wood. I let him know how I felt with no restrictions. I finally told him that I completely hated him, and I think that may have been another reason he was so upset with me at that practice."

At this point, we were back in my apartment, and I was hastily preparing a dinner for Xavier and myself. Alex was at Molly's, and I wasn't due there until eight o' clock. Even then, however, I was staying the night.

"Wow," Xavier breathed as I charmed broccoli to cut itself. "You actually told him that you hate him?"

"Of course I did," I asserted as I prepared chicken for boiling. "I usually don't like to hide my feelings, and I was afraid that he wasn't getting the point through me acting as if I wanted nothing to do with him."

"But, Katie," he began as he chewed on a fresh sprig of mind he had bought in Red Ash, "do you really?"

"Do I really what?"

"Hate Oliver Wood?"

I turned to him with a look of contempt on my face. "Of course I do. Why would you ask that?"

I had all of the food steaming on the stove, and I sat at my table across from my nineteen year old friend. He shrugged non-committally to me and nonchalantly said, "It sounds to me like you're still in love with him."

"What?" I shrieked.

"Katie, how old is Oliver Wood?"

"26."

"When's his birthday?"

"May 26."

"What are his parents' names?"

"Marci and John Wood."

"Where do they live?"

"On the opposite side of Hogsmeade from my cottage," I answered. I didn't know why Xavier was asking all of these questions, but I was going to deny him his answers.

"What's Wood's favorite color?"

"He is equally obsessed with maroon and gold."

"What is his shoe size?"

"45."

"What's his favorite pastime, other than quidditch?"

"He likes to play board games; he's particularly fond of Clue."

"What's his pet peeve?"

"Mismatched socks."

"How many girls has he dated?"

"Two that I know of. One was that whore Cho Chang."

"Have you seen him naked?"

"Yeah," I blushed when I delivered the answer.

"How does he look naked?"

Before I could stop myself, I dreamily replied, "Perfect."

"Mhm," he mumbled while smiling cheekily at me. "Oh, I think dinner's boiling over."

I cursed under my breath, and I jumped up to continue preparing dinner. I took the pots from the stove and put decent sized portions of chicken, broccoli, and rice on plates. I thrust his angrily before him. "What does any of that prove?" I demanded as I picked at my dinner.

"Katie, why do you know all of that stuff?" He questioned before taking a large bite of his food. "This is delicious," he added off-handedly.

"I've always known that stuff," I persisted. "Thank you," I added.

"Why do you remember it?" He continued, and I shrugged. He went on, "Katie, memories fade with time; they don't get stronger."

"I am not in love with bloody Oliver Wood," I said through clenched teeth, and I enunciated each syllable with a jab of my fork.

"You said that Alex really like to spend time with him?" He questioned.

"Yes, why?"

With an all-knowing look, he said, "I think Alex may know something that you do not."

I scowled. What was it with men telling me that lately? As I laid in Charlie's bed later that night, with Alex pulled closely to my side, the only thought to run through my mind was, "I am not bloody in love with Oliver Wood."

I drifted to sleepy. When I awoke again, I was in a field of poppies, and I couldn't find Alex anywhere. "Alex! Alexander James Bell!" I began to scream, rather reminiscent of the day I lost him at King's Cross.

"Katie, you didn't lost him."

I jerked around to see Charlie standing before me, as whole and solid as he was the last time I saw him alive. The one major difference was that he was purged from all of his burn scars. "Charlie?" I croaked.

"Yes, Katie, and don't pretend to be shocked. You knew it was me the moment you saw me," he scolded gently.

I stammered momentarily before spitting out, "Charlie, why do I keep on seeing you places? Am I going mad? Because I sure feel like I'm going mad."

"You're not going mad," he stated as he sat himself in the poppies across from me. "you keep on seeing me because I'm on a mission of sorts."

"Mission?" I questioned. I was beyond confused. How could the dead have missions?

"Yes, Katie. I am in what can be called purgatory right now. I had unfinished business when I died, but I did not choose to be a ghost. I just have a few things I had to complete before I can cross into the afterlife.

"The first was getting Leslie to Mom with a safe state of mind. I visited her in her dreams night after night, comforting her and assuring her that she would be all right. It was tough convincing her that she would be happy at the Burrow, but she finally accepted the fact, and there she is. Completely happy.

"It only took one visit to Mom to give her peace of mind and let her know that I love her. I promised to be there for her in the afterlife. My next mission was to ensure that my siblings were okay and happy in life.

"The only trouble I was having there was Ginny. You actually took care of that, and I'm very grateful toward you for it."

"What about Percy?" I interrupted.

He looked sheepish. "I actually told Percy that I hoped he rotted in Hell, and I thought that he should have gotten the Kiss for what he put Mom through; the lousy bastard."

He cleared his throat. "Sorry. Anyway, after all of that, I had expected to pass into the afterlife, but I didn't. It took me about eight months to figure out that you were my last mission before I could go on."

"Me?" I gasped.

"Of course, and it made sense once I figured it out. I was terribly sorry that I had to leave again for Romania after that afternoon at the pond." I blushed, and he smirked. "I was even more upset after the few months I was able to spend at home and around you after Alex was born when I had to return to war." He sighed before continuing, "Ginny was right a few months ago, you know? I was head-over-heels for you. But I had Leslie, and you had your stuff with Seamus."

"During the war, I kept up with the papers about your case with Seamus not wanting Alex. I was furious, but it helped me to see that you wouldn't care about Les. I decided that I was going to ask you to marry me after I got back from war."

I gasped, but I couldn't say anything. "However, I was on my last mission, and I got caught with a killing curse in the back by the Death Eater Avery. That's when my purgatory started. It's been a couple of hard years, Kate, but I'm finally on my last mission.

"But, Katie, darling, you're making it really difficult on me."

"I. . . I am?" I was stammering again. But of course I was stammering, I had just experienced one of the biggest shocks in my life.

A small smile filtered across his scar-free face. "Of course you are, doll. My last mission is to get you finally happy in a relationship and get Alex a daddy."

"I. . . What?"

"You have to remember, I planned to marry you and become a father to that boy. Both of your states of happiness mean a lot to me. You dated Adrian Troy, but he was obviously a bad choice."

I sighed and blandly replied, "He was a very poor choice."

Charlie nodded in agreement, "I'm afraid that I can't just spit the name out of the bloke I feel would be the best for you and Alex, but I will tell you one thing: he's right in front of your face. You're just pushing him away."

Charlie began to fade, and I called after him, "Charlie! Wait, will I see you again?"

"You will if you keep making the same poor choices you are now," he called, and he was gone.

I awoke the next morning with tears running down my face and the scents of Charlie and poppies in my nose.


	20. The Truth is SemiRevealed

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: Happy Friday the Thirteenth! All right, so who's ready for the next update?! I have so much to talk about, but I would rather just get to the chapter! **

**P.S. Thoughts on the new film?**

**International Delight**

_**Chapter Twenty: The Truth is (Semi) Revealed**_

The tenth of December came and passed, and Alex was more than pleased with the miniature chaser set he received. He treasured it above any other present he had been given, and I couldn't help but laugh every time I hoed up to get him from daycare and all he could ask was if we were going to go practice.

The date was December twentieth, and I had just picked Krystal up from King's Cross. We both had a two week break, and I had decided that we would spend five or six days with the Weasley's at the Burrow. We would then return to my new home in America, and we would then visit some of the most famous wizarding enclaves of America.

Everything was coming together for my family and my friends, but things were continuing to fall apart for me. I had received no further help from Charlie, and I had no idea as to which man he was talking about. I was surrounded by men that I did not want to get too close with: Zachary Norton, Adam King, Jesse Lawson (he was married!), Xander Williams, Andy Quinsy, and Godric forbid he expect me to fall in love with Xavier.

Normally, I wouldn't have even worried myself with it, but Charlie deserved to pass into the afterlife, and I couldn't stand the idea that I was faltering him in that. Ever since The Visit, as I was now calling it, I couldn't get men off of my mind. I hated that.

"Hey, what are you thinking about, Kit-Kat?" I turned and stared at my sister. We were standing in Charlie's room at the Burrow, but I couldn't recall arriving there. "You're looking a little dazed and confused. Are you feeling fine?"

I waved her off. "I'm fine. Where's Alex?"

She rolled her eyes and began to unpack her trunk. "He's playing with Les and Ronny."

"Oh," I muttered off-handedly before beginning to unpack mine and Alex's bags. I had just finished pulling a shrunken box of presents from one of my bags when Krystal sighed audibly in a prolonged manner. "What's on your mind, kiddo?"

"You," she replied, and I turned quickly on her. I had just been preparing to speak when she interjected. "Oh, don't give me any of that, "Oh, Krystal, I'm fine, don't worry about me," tosh, either. I know you're not fine. Have you looked in the mirror lately, Katie?"

"What do you mean?" I began immediately, sounding much more defensive that I should have.

Krystal shook her head before sighing breathily. "Katie, you look positively haggard. Do you sleep?"

"Of course I do!"

"Do you eat?"

"Three times a day!"

"Then what in Godric's name is your problem?" She cried, and I felt guilty. Krystal wasn't prying. She was my baby sister, and she was concerned for me.

"Krys, you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"Try me," she demanded.

I shook my head as I sat on the bed. "Krys, I don't know."

She exploded. "What can't you tell me, Katie? Do you not trust me?"

"Krys, I trust you," I stated as tears began to roll swiftly down my cheeks. I wiped at them angrily. I hated how weak I had become. "But I think I'm going mad."

"Well, big surprise there," she replied as she sat on the bed and bumped shoulders with me. I smiled through my tears. Krys wrapped her arms around me, and I leaned onto her. We were in the same position that we had been in when our parents died, excluding the fact that it had been me holding her then.

"Katie, why do you think you're going mad?" She asked while stroking my hair gently. I sniffled as I remember Mom comforting me in the same manner when I told her about being pregnant and the situation with Seamus. Krystal was more like Mom than she realized.

With another great sniffle, I replied, "I'm seeing things, Krys."

"Ooh, are you seeing dead people?" She joked. The one time we had been to a muggle theater had been been to see the movie The Sixth Sense, in which the young boy saw deceased people.

With a wail, I cried, "Yes!"

"Oh, Godric, Katie! What? Who?" She cried in concern.

Molly burst into the room as I cried and sniffled out, "I've been seeing Charlie everywhere! In fog, steam and even my dreams!"

Molly gasped audibly, and I looked up in a state of shock. Molly's flabbergasted face was all I needed to send me into body-wracking sobs once more. "Katie," she whispered consolingly as she bustled over, "you're seeing Charlie, too?"

I nodded miserably, and she chuckled a bit. As she sat on the other side of me, she said, "Did you know that I always called Charlie my little guardian angel?"

"No," I moaned.

Molly began to run circles along my back, and I relaxed until I leaned on her. I was also holding dearly onto Krystal, pulling her into an awkward half-sitting, half-lying position. THose two were my rocks at that point, and I needed all the support I could get.

"Charlie always cared more for others than he did himself. Each time I was pregnant after Percy, he helped me all he could. He even darned socks for Fred and George. He was always fiercely protective of Ginny, and he did all he could to help someone at Hogwarts, friend or foe. The only thing Charlie ever did for himself was move to Romania; and even then he tried to send Arthur and I parts of his salary.

"When Charlie told us he was leaving for war, officially, since it wasn't official the first time; we were heart broken. However, we had always known that he would be one of the first to jump right in. There was one thing we could look forward to with his return. He told us that he had a girl to come home to. He had every intention of asking you to marry him, Katie. He even said that he would move from Romania if you would only have him. He wanted to protect you and Alex from exactly what you're going through right now.

"Charlie was always my little guardian angel, and now, he's yours," she said softly as she kissed the top of my head. "If you're seeing him, he's only trying to help you. Back then he wanted more than anything for you to be happy. I believe that the same is true now."

"Thank you, Molly," I sniffled as I looked up at her. She smiled warmly before wiping my tears away.

"Dinner is in a half an hour or so, dear. Everyone is going to be here, and I suspect we'll all have a jolly time," she said while getting up. "You might want to perform a red-eye reducing charm before you come down. There's no need to alarm anyone."

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Krystal said, and Molly was gone with a small smile and incline of her head.

Krystal shook me slightly before saying, "C'mon, Kit-Kat, I know a pair of twins that could use some verbal abuse."

I laughed in agreement before performing Molly's suggested spell. Krystal and I linked arms and bounced down the stairs. My mouth must have hit the floor when we arrived to the sitting room. She hadn't been joking what she said everyone would be there.

Billy and Fleur were sitting together on a love seat. Fleur's baby-bump was getting larger, and she was laughing with her sister, Gabby. Fred and Angelina were standing to one side with her parents and brother Desmond. George was in another corner with Dean, Ginny, and Aidan. The Quinsy triplets were on the floor playing gobstones with Ronny, Leslie, and Alex. Professors McGonagall, Vector, and Sinistra stood talking to a few other people I didn't know.

"Katie Bell, is that you?" I turned to see two people that I didn't think I'd ever see again, accompanied b a person that I didn't want to see ever again.

"Mrs. Wood, Godric, it has been forever," I cried as she rushed forward to hug me. I saw Mr. Wood clap Oliver on the back before approaching Angelina's parents. Oliver and I shared a scowl before he stomped off to talk with George, Dean, Ginny and Aidan.

"And Krystal," cried Mrs. Wood as she swept her rapidly greying hair from her face. "I suppose you're still at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, mam," Krystal replied as she received an equally as bone crushing hug from the Scottish woman as I had earlier received. "I start spring term in January, and I leave school in June. I'm not sure if I'm going to go straight into the work force or if I'm going to further my education."

"Oh, what are you planning to do?" Mrs. Wood asked as we walked to an unoccupied set of armchairs.

"I would like to be an apothecary. I've always liked Potions and Herbology, and my grades are relatively good." I smiled with pride. Professor Vector had owled me the week before last to inform me that Krystal was back at the top of her classes.

"That's nice, dear; and you, Katie, I believe that Oliver mentioned you being on his quidditch team."

I shook my head. "Oh no, mam. I don't play for the team; I'm the Medi-Witch."

"She's the best damn Medi-Witch we've ever had," a booming voice exclaimed over my shoulder. I turned to see Phil Montgomery, Margaret Montgomery, Ricky Hatfield, Melissa Hatfield (his plump and sweet wife), and Zachary Norton standing above us. I could see Tamera entering the Burrow with her new husband, Derrick Reid.

I stood to shake Phil's hand, but he pulled me into a hug as I asked, "What are you doing here, Phil?"

"We were invited by Ms. Weasley's mother, Molly," he boomed and Mrs. Montgomery chuckled at him.

Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned, startled, to see Krystal staring at me pointedly. I cleared my throat slightly and blushed. "I'm terribly sorry for being rude. This is my sister, Krystal Bell, and this lovely woman is Marci Wood, Oliver's mother."

"Krys, Mrs. Wood, this is the head coach of the American team, Phil Montgomery and his wife Margaret; this is Ricky Hatfield, the offensive coach, and his wife Melissa; and this is the defensive coach, Zachary Norton."

They all exchanged pleasantries, and my stomach twisted in knots to see Krystal and Zach making eyes at one another. "If you'll excuse me," I said as I felt my throat begin to stick, "I'm not feeling well. I think I need a glass of water."

"Katie," Krystal began to stand to her feet.

I waved her off. "I'll be fine, Krys, I'm going to Molly."

Krystal nodded, and I escaped into the kitchen. I was surprised to see the room much larger than it normally was, with the availability to seat many more than usual. "Hey, Molly, would it be a bother if I got a glass of water?"

"Of course not, dear," Molly answered as she charmed the dinner ware to set itself on the lengthened table. "Are you feeling ill?"

"No, I'm just a little. . . Well. . . perturbed, really," I replied as I helped her set up jugs of pumpkin juice and water along the table.

"Why's that?" She questioned as we levitated dish after dish of food to the table.

I shook my head as I drank my water. "Well, I introduced Krystal to all of the coaches from the team, and she and Zachary Norton seem to be rather smitten with one another."

"Mmhmm. . ." She mumbled.

I scratched the back of my neck sheepishly before continuing, "I'm not overly concerned with the age difference, he is quite young after all. Its just that well. . . up until a few days ago, Zach was throwing me a suggestive glance every time I turned around. I'm just concerned that he'll play her like Adrian and Seamus played me."

Molly was wiping her hands on a tea towel when she turned around. She smiled compassionately at me. "As a mother," she stated as she threw the towel over he shoulder, "I can guarantee you that I know what you're going through. The only bit of advice I can give to you, however, is for you to let her make her own mistakes. They all learn eventually and mistakes have to be made."

"So, you're saying. . .?" I questioned.

"Let it be for now," she replied, and I nodded. "Will you please tell everyone that dinner will be served?"

"Sure," I replied.

Dinner went off without a hitch. Alex was on one side of me and Krystal was on the other. Directly in front of us were the Quinsy triplets, and Oliver was no where near close enough to me to piss me off. Zachary sat next to Krystal, and they talked animatedly for the entire meal.

In fact, the dinner was so normal and un-Weasley like that by the time dessert arrived, I was almost asleep. To my immense amusement, I looked over to discover that Alex actually was asleep. I pulled him over into my lap and cuddled him closely.

The Weasley flare was brought back to dinner when Ginny stood near the end of dessert. "Everyone," she called loudly. Her presence alone demanded attention of every occupant of the room. "I have some news."

All chatter stopped immediately and all eyes turned on her. "I'm pregnant!" She exclaimed with flourish. Two loud gasps filled the air, and she laughed. "Mom, Coach, I'm only joking, I'm not pregnant!"

"Guinevere Wealsey!" Molly scolded.

Ginny laughed before muttering, "Yes, Mom, I know I shouldn't make jokes like that, but I really do have news." She held up her left hand proudly to show a ring that was resting on her ring finger. "Aidan and I are going to be married!"

Applause broke out from all around the table, and Xavier and I shared a knowing smirk. I had predicted to him that Aidan would be proposing to her soon. I smiled at the excited chatter that bled through the room at that point.

The next couple of weeks did not slow down, either. Krystal had her coming of age party, and she was more than pleased with the flat/shop that I had procured for her in Hogsmeade (with the help of a tricky Weasley or two), and she cried on Christmas morning when she received the one thousand galleons from me as a start-up fund for her apothecary. Alex was, as always, pleased with what I had bought for him.

Once we did travel to America, our itinerary was so full that we barely had time to just stop by my flat, and I definitely did not have time to sift through my monstrous pile of post. We traveled to the most famous of the American wizarding enclave, and we saw Cats on Krystal's last night before school resumed.

Alex and I arrived home to our flat on the third of January completely exhausted. I bathed him and quickly put him to bed. My stack of post was ridiculous, and I knew that I had to sort through it. My first piece of post was from Ginny.

**Jan. 2**

**Katie,**

**First and foremost, I would like to thank you for what you have done for me. Had it not been for you, I would never have been able to forgive anyone; especially Aidan. I feel that I owe my happiness to you, and I have no idea as to how to repay you. All I know is that I am happy, and I am sure that Harry and Charlie would be happy for me right now.**

**The light was beginning to fade in my flat, and I lit a few candles to read by. I made myself comfortable in an armchair. I continued to read Ginny's letter.**

**Secondly, the wedding is set for February thirteenth of this year. Yes, as I told Mom, I realize that this is a very short engagement, but Aidan and I are in complete bliss, and I know that I'll spend the rest of my life with him.**

**I picked February the thirteenth because its Charlie's birthday. I don't know why I was so compelled to pick his birthday as my wedding, but I know its just right. Aidan and I are so excited.**

**Fleur's really upset with me because she'll be so pregnant at the wedding, but I know she'll look gorgeous as Matron of Honor. Katie, will you please be my Maid of Honor? It would mean so much to me! Let me know as soon as possible, please. I've got to get this wedding planned as soon as possible!**

**I hope your holidays were fantastic. I miss you, and I can't wait to get back to practice with you and the team.**

**Love,**

**Ginny**

**P.S. What's with Zach and Krystal? They seemed rather chummy over dinner a couple of weeks ago.**

**P.P.S. Can Alex be wand bearer? (Sorry this was an after thought.)**

I decided to write Ginny back the next day. I was far too tired that night to even get through the rest of my post, let alone write a reply to my over-zealous best friend. I had blown two of the three candles out when I noticed a tiny figure floating in the smoke of the candles.

"Hey, Charlie," I mumbled as I rubbed my eyes.

"She's right, Katie, I am very happy that she's to be married to Aidan. They make one another happy, and they will be together for the rest of their lives. I can never thank you enough for getting her to wake up and forgive even when I couldn't. However, you're still making things pretty hard for me," he scolded as he crossed his smokey little arms.

I felt extremely guilty once again. "I'm sorry, Charlie, I really have been trying to figure out who you were talking about. It obviously isn't Zachary Norton. He's apparently interested in my sister."

"Zachary Norton is obviously not who I was talking about," he said sternly, and I glowered slightly at him. "Allow me to shed some light on it for you."

A bright light was pouring from my pile of post. I dug through the post until I saw a package with my name scrawled across the front. I turned back to Charlie to find that he was gone. I shook my head and tore open the package.

It was a worn and withered leather bound journal. It fell open to reveal the words, 'This Journal Belongs to: O. R. Wood' scrawled across the front. I was shocked. Why in the Hell would he send me his journal? Especially since we were on such bad terms.

On the other side of the end sheet was a jauntily scrawled note.

**Katie,**

**I do not expect you to forgive me, but I am sorry for everything that has happened, especially these past few weeks.**

**You do not have to read this, but it may shed some light on everything that has happened.**

**Sincerely,**

**O. R. Wood**


	21. These Letters to You

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

Author's Note: Thanks for all of the support for the last chapter! I'm super stoked that people are still reading this fiction, and I'm super stoked that this should be finished in a week! Orientation went well (for those that care), and I met some really fantastic people. I'm taking 17 hours this fall, so I hope I'll still have time to dribble on about something on Anyhoo, here's the next installment!

**International Delight**

_**Chapter Twenty-One: These Letters to You  
(Aren't Much I Know)**_

**Katie,**

**A famous American war general once said, "War is Hell." Another said, "It is well that war is so terrible, lest we should grow too fond of it." Both of those generals were far more correct than they might have known. War is Hell, and it s far too horrible to practice all of the time.**

**I am only on my first mission, but it has been horrible. I'm stationed in the mountains somewhere in Eastern Europe. Charlie Weasley is my squadron leader, and it is nice to have a familiar face amongst the men. Almost all of the entire squadron is made up of Slavic and Romanian men.**

**We're stationed here to fight the giants. We may also have to fight the dementors. Most of the men do not even know how to produce a Patronus (do you remember that thing Harry did at that quidditch match to Malfoy and his cronies?). Those who can produce one cannot produce a very strong one (according to Charlie). These men have never even seen a dementor. Charlie has me teaching them to perform the spell, but its difficult to teach them to defend themselves against something they're not rightly afraid of. I wish I could catch a dementor or a boggart; it would make things so much easier.**

**I hope that you do not mind that I am writing to you. When I sat down with this journal (Mom demanded that I bring it along), I did not know what to write. I felt uncomfortable writing to an inanimate object, and I know that I would never want Mom to hear about half of the stuff that happened here.**

**I decided to write this directed toward you because you are one of my closest friends ever. We may have grown apart these past couple of years, but you still know me better than anyone else.**

**Also, I heard about you being cursed by that blasted necklace from Malfoy, and I'm terribly sorry that I Couldn't get in to see you. I was on a small mission from Dumbledore, and I couldn't get into London to see you.**

**Katie, I do not know if you will ever read this journal, but I want you to know that you have given me a slight peace of mind out here on the battle field.**

**With all hope that we will be friends when I'm back,**

**O. R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**No such luck with a boggart or a real dementor. I've tried to tell the men the full extent of the horror of a dementor, but Charlie is the only one who seems to understand. He's the only one that has ever been around one.**_

_**I've told the men of the coldness and the horrible feeling you get inside of you. I've tried to explain that dementors bleed you of all your happiness. I've even told them of the Kiss, but they just don't get it. One man asked today, "What's there to fear, Wood? You said we can scare them away with a spell."**_

_**I explained to the Slavic man that you can scare them away with the patronus, but unless the patronus is developed, it won't affect them very much. I showed them my patronus, not in its fullest glory of course, it would have attracted some sort of negative attention. I then demanded that each of them show me their own patronus.**_

_**I was not at all surprised to find that very few of them could even produce a small silvery wisp. They just don't realize that Charlie and I won't be able to fight off an entire horde of dementors on our own if we're attacked.**_

_**Well, supper's up. (By the way, rationed war food is the best ever! pukes)**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**(A very annoyed) O. R. Wood**_

**Katie,**

**The men are taking me seriously. A group of five dementors found our camp late last night. Charlie and I did not wake until the dementors were already wrecking havoc. The cries of the men screaming fearfully and weeping alerted us to the presence of the dementors.**

**Charlie ran for the dementor restraints we had been developing, and I dived in straight away to round the dementors up. By the time I had cajoled the creatures to the center of the camp to meet Charlie, most of the men were down, weeping, and unluckily, one of the men had received the Kiss.**

**Luckily for us, however, the small tubular restraining canisters (sorry, we haven't named them yet) that Charlie and I have been developing worked incredibly well. We soon had the dementors into them. Charlie currently has them safely stored in his tent.**

**We have to change camps and do something with the Slavic man who was Kissed. It is far too dangerous to apparate or portkey, so I do not know when I will write again.**

**I'm crossing my fingers for luck,**

**O. R. Wood**

**P.S. I hope you are well. The last I heard you were dating Seamus Finnegan. I hope that goes well for you.**

_**Katie,**_

_**It has been ages since I have been able to write. I'm terribly sorry. So much has happened. We moved camp, but it took weeks. The terrain here is horribly uncertain, and as I said in the last letter/entry/whatever you wish to call this, it is far too dangerous to apparate or portkey around here.**_

_**So, we finally moved into our new camp, and I immediately began to teach the men how to perform the patronus charm. They were much more receptive to the lesson than they had been originally. After a few days of practicing, we brought out a real dementor. The men are doing fairly well, but I told them they had to do better, we're running out of chocolate.**_

_**Around November, Charlie began to pull me away from the rest of the men and give me simulation scenarios; he used the same type of magic Fred and George used in the daydream box. I didn't know it then, but Charlie was preparing me for the take over as squadron leader.**_

_**The date is now December the eleventh, and I have been the leader of the squadron since your birthday. I don't know where Charlie went, but he said it had something to do with other Order business. He said he wasn't sure if he would be reassigned to our squadron; but he said if he was, it could be well over a year before he's back.**_

_**I'm nervous, but the men seem to trust me.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**(An extremely anxious) O. R. Wood**_

**Katie,**

**I've been drilling the men almost constantly. We drill, physically, every morning from seven to eleven. (Breakfast is from six to six forty-five.) Lunch is eleven to twelve. After that, we drill, magically, from twelve to three. From three to six, we read up on our enemies and quiz one another. From six to seven, we have dinner. Seven to nine is more magical drill. Nine to ten is free hour. Showers are from ten to eleven in the shower tent. Eleven is lights out. Its a pretty rough schedule, but the men don't complain.**

**We haven't seen any action at all lately, but the grounds are getting misty and cold. We expect a tussle with the dementors in the coming days.**

**Until then,**

**(An on-edge) O. R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**Have you even seen a dementor be birthed? It is truly disgusting. I dare say it may be more horrible than a human birth. The men were getting restless, and I got orders to start searching the dementors out, rather than the dementors searching us out.**_

_**We started scouting a few days ago; and last night, we found a breeding ground. There were probably a hundred of them and many of them were giving birth. The young dementor comes out of the mouth of the birthing dementor; it is accompanied by the stench of rotting flesh along with mist and an unidentifiable liquid. They fall to the ground and slowly begin to grow their way up.**_

_**We charged the breeding ground and too 117 total dementors. (I now keep them in my own tent). The men did a fantastic job, and I allowed them a day's rest.**_

_**Tomorrow, we're packing up. We're now constantly scouting dementors. Another squadron is taking our post as giant fighters, but we'll probably get back to that eventually. We just have to get rid of as many dementors as possible.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**(A safely optimistic) O. R. Wood**_

_**P.S. I'm writing this Post Script at a later time than I wrote this entry. The next 113 pages of this journal are merely accounts of scouting and fighting dementors. We were always successful, and I only lost two more men. Feel free to skip ahead. -O. R. Wood**_

**Katie, **

**It has been a successful year scouting and fighting dementors. I've only lost two more men, and we've caught just over three-thousand (its amazing how quickly they multiplied) of them. We're said to be the most successful squadron, but I do not think we have had a very hard job.**

**We got orders two days ago, and we're moving out and being split up all over the place. We had a sort of farewell party, and I'm now sitting in my new headquarters. I'm in a very thick woods, and I'm second-in-command to Charlie Weasley once again.**

**We're staking out a suspected Death Eater's hideout. . . And by that, I mean that we're searching for it. Once we find the hideout, we stake it out, and possibly attack later. Charlie and I got identical letters. This is our **_**last **_**mission.**

**I hope it will be over soon. I want to get back to Scotland and apologize for being a complete pig.**

**Sincerely,**

**(A very hopeful) O. R. Wood**

**P.S. I am once again writing this at another time. The next 51 entries are entries about not finding the Death Eaters. Once again, feel free to skip ahead. -O. R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**It has been months since I started this mission with Charlie. It hasn't been anywhere near as successful as the mission with my Slavic and Romanian squadron. These American wizards are ballsy, but they are impatient.**_

_**All of our hard work (pssh) has finally paid off. We found the hideout. We're calling in a team of curse breakers and then we'll attack. We could be home in less than a month. I'm very hopeful.**_

_**Until we meet again,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

**Katie,**

**The curse breakers got in. They're working around the clock to figure out all of the enchantments around this medieval castle. We've started drilling. It is pretty low-key, but every bit it helpful.**

**Charlie found me writing in this the other day. He inquired to our relationship (I don't think he realized I was writing to you, only some girl), and I replied best friends. I don't know if we still are, but I would like to be some day.**

**Sincerely,**

**O. R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**The curse breakers finally got all of the enchantments figured out. We're dropping them tonight at midnight, and we're rushing the Death Eaters. I've never been one for killing, but those American wizards love their AK-47s (a type of muggle killing contraption) almost as much as they love their wands.**_

_**I think someone has been reading this. I keep it tucked under my pillow in my and Charlie's tent; and when I came back from a quick side mission tonight (a few pesky dementors) it was half pulled out from my pillow. I didn't think Charlie would read through this, but maybe he has. He may just be curious, I cannot blame him for that.**_

_**We're preparing to move out. Wish me luck.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

_**P.S. Charlie seems nervous; I'm a bit uneasy.**_

**Katie,**

**Forgive the tears. I'm very broken up. Our attack held heavy losses, for both sides. We had not surprised the Death Eaters as much as we would have liked. They had been suspecting an attack for months, and they were ready and waiting.**

**Oh Godric. . . The memory is playing through my mind as vividly as if it were in a penseive. . .**

Charlie clapped me on the back as we squatted in some bushes outside of the medieval castle. "Oliver, m'boy," he began nervously, "it has been great working with you these past two years. You're the best partner a man could ask for."

I gulped nervously and nodded. It felt like we were saying farewell to one another, and I was not happy with the situation. I wiped sweat from my brow before replying, "You've been great to work with, too, Charlie. It has been good knowing that I had someone I could depend on through thick and thin. You have been a blessing, brother."

He smiled genuinely before saying, "Oliver, I know you've been writing to Katie all of this time. Well, at least a Katie, and I suppose it wouldn't be too far-fetched for me to assume that it is Katie Bell."

"That's not so far-fetched at all. It is Katie Bell, she's my best friend."

"Look, mate," he said staring deeply into my eyes, "I love, Katie, and I know you do, too." My face may have registered shock because he chuckled nervously. "Sorry for reading your letters to her, Oliver, but I had to know."

"Know what?" I snapped. I wasn't really angry over him reading the letters. There was nothing too personal in them, but I was on end.

He sighed. "How much she meant to you. You may not realize it, but you're in love with her. Don't argue," my mouth snapped shut, "time is far too limited."

"You see, I have every intention of marrying that girl when I'm done with war. You have got to understand that normally, I would be mad as Hell with you for being in live with my girl, but I had a bad feeling about tonight. . ."

"Charlie," I gasped, "don't say that, everything will be okay."

"Don't be a twat, Oliver," he scolded, "you're just as nervous about this as I am. I just have a really bad feeling about tonight. I won't back out of this, the world needs these bastards to be gotten rid of. However, I need you to promise me, Oliver, that if I don't make it out of here. . ." He choked at this point. He shook his head and continued, "Oliver, I need you to promise to protect Katie and love her if I don't make it out of here."

"Charlie, I. . ." I stammered. I didn't know what to say.

"Dammit, Oliver, you're the only person that I trust to love her as much as I do, if not more! Just promise me," he cried.

I promised him as the final enchantments came down. Charlie and I glanced at one another. We were resolute. We beckoned our men forward, and we rushed the castle. The fighting was intense. Charlie and I stuck together the entire time and took out Death Eater after Death Eater.

We got them all. . . or at least, we thought we had. Charlie and I were walking back to camp, both of us feeling good about ourselves, when we heard a voice snarl behind us, "Avada Kedavra!"

I felt Charlie push me out of the way. Right before the gun fire rained upon the remaining Death Eater, he whispered, "Love and protect, Oli. . ."

I screamed as I collapsed over his glassy eyed body.

**I had snapped orders at a high ranking American soldier, and they began the death count. I came back to camp, packed up for my men, and readied Charlie's body for the return trip home.**

**I'm currently at headquarters, all of my men are here. Dead and alive. The Weasley's are here, and I can't even face them. How can I? Charlie died to protect me.**

**I'll be home soon.**

**Until then,**

**O. R. Wood**

_**Katie, **_

_**I'm not coming home nearly as soon as I thought. A few days after our mission was completed, Harry defeated Voldemort. Unfortunately, some of the greatest witches and wizards of our time have been lost. . .**_

_**The Order has sent me to America. The Death Eaters spread once Voldemort died, and the order suspects that many of them will be in America. I've been sent off as a type of bounty hunter. I will be here until every single Death Eater is caught. At least, that's what the Order says.**_

_**I'm in Maine right now. I'm sweeping the U.S. state by state, and I'm afraid I may be at it for years. I'm afraid that I may not be able to keep my promise to Charlie, and I hate that.**_

_**But, Katie. . . Charlie did open my eyes. I realize that I've loved you for a long time, and I'm sorely sorry for what happened. I wish I would have woken up earlier. (Like seventh year earlier.)**_

_**I hope to see you again.**_

_**Until then, with love,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

**Katie,**

**I scouted Maine. No luck. All I found were blueberries and toothpicks. I'm headed towards New Hampshire.**

**Sincerely,**

**O. R. Wood**

**P.S. Maine has great sea food. I'll give it that much.**

_**Katie,**_

_**No luck. On to Vermont.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

**Katie,**

**Vermont: Good syrup, no Death Eaters.**

**Sincerely, with love,**

**Oliver**

_**Katie,**_

_**New York was good. I found three Death Eaters. The Order is pleased. **_

_**I can't wait to be home.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Oliver**_

**Katie,**

**Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland produced nothing. . . Except maybe smog. Some parts of New England are nice. Maybe I'll bring you sometime.**

**With love, sincerely,**

**Oliver**

_**Kate,**_

_**Pennsylvania was all Amish and no Death Eater.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**Oliver**_

**Kate,**

**West Virginia was fruitless, but I found two in Virginia. Maybe luck is catching up with me!**

**Love,**

**Ol**

_**Kate,**_

_**North Carolina and South Carolina are gorgeous. I wish you could see them.**_

_**No Death Eaters.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Ol**_

**Kate, **

**Georgia had great peaches and on Death Eater. The Order is still happy with me.**

**Love,**

**Ol**

_**Kate,**_

_**Florida was beautiful. I cannot even begin to explain how the beaches looked. I want to bring you to Florida some day. . . I don't know if I could handle all of the beauty in one place, however. Maybe it is good you haven't been to Florida. . . It might explode from all of the beauty.**_

_**I miss you.**_

_**Love,**_

_**Ol**_

**Kate,**

**Alabama gave me one Death Eater.**

**Love,**

**Ol**

_**Kate,**_

_**Tennessee and Kentucky were gorgeous. Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin were sort of bland, but not too bad. I enjoyed Chicago, Illinois because it gave me seven Death Eaters.**_

_**Maybe I'll get home soon and be able to see you!**_

_**Love,**_

_**Ol**_

**Kate,**

**I've gone to Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana with no luck. I can't believe I've been at this an entire year.**

**Will I ever get home?**

**Ol**

_**Kate,**_

_**More months have passed, and I've searched even more states.**_

_**Texas 13**_

_**Oklahoma 0**_

_**Kansas 1**_

_**Nebraska 2**_

_**South Dakota 0**_

_**North Dakota 4**_

_**There's no word from the Order of when I'll be able to come home again.**_

_**I hope you have a nice life, Katie. I may never see you again.**_

_**O. Wood**_

**New Mexico 0**

**Colorado 3**

**Wyoming 0**

**Montana 2**

**Idaho 0**

**Utah 1**

**Arizona 1**

**Nevada 5**

**Washington 3**

**Oregon 1**

**-O. Wood**

_**Alaska Too cold for Death Eaters.**_

_**Hawaii I don't believe Death Eaters have even heard of it. (Its really pretty, though.)**_

_**California 19 Death Eaters**_

_**Biggest catch yet!**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

_**P.S. Who do I even write to anymore?**_

**-I've been to all of the states now. It has been nearly two years. There is still one known Death Eater on the loose. I have to sweep the United States. . . again.**

**Ugh!**

**Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**Thank Godric! The Order has found the final Death Eater! He was in Amsterdam, not America. I get to come home. I'm so excited!**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

**Katie,**

**When news got out that I was out of the service, quidditch teams practically came banging on my door! I had thirteen owls in one day! It was hard for me to pick a team, but I finally chose the American National Team. They're based in Tennessee, which is one of the states I loved. Parts of it reminded me so much of home. (Scotland, that is.) My parents were overjoyed to see me, and Mom's glad that I actually used this thing.**

**I'm going to try to see you before I leave again. I so hope I can. A friendly face (that isn't Mom or Dad) would be great right now.**

**Sincerely,**

**O. R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**I didn't get to see you before I left, but I saw you and Ginny Weasley on the airplane! It turns out that you're a world-famous Medi-Witch (congratulations!) and that we're all going to be working together. You weren't overall pleased to see me, but I guess I deserve as much.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

**Dear Dr. Bell,**

**You're cold.****Hard.**** And sort of a bitch. I heard about what happened with Seamus. I'm sorry; he's a git. Your son, Alex, is one of the cutest children I've ever seen. Why are you so angry?**

**The physical was horrible.**

**Your patient,**

**Oliver R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**Alex is fantastic. You were blessed with a great child. Quidditch was good, but Ginny and Aidan are having quite the row, eh?**_

_**I don't understand your relationship with this Xavier Quinsy character. Are you two involved or not? I guess not since that is what you told the rest of the household. I'm confused.**_

_**However, you seem to be warming up to me. I'm glad.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**O. R. Wood**_

**Katelinn Bell,**

**What the Hell do you see in Adrian Troy?! He's a twit, and you're going to get your heart broken!**

**Can't you see that I'm here waiting for you?**

**With love (as always),**

**(An exasperated) O. R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**I told you he would break your heart, and I'm so sorry that he did. You deserve better than to have your heart broken by every man that you've ever loved, and I'm sorry that you hate me so incredibly much. I'm okay with you being angry with me, for the most part, because I did disappear for four years. I hope someday you can forgive me because I do love you.**_

_**With sincere love,**_

_**Oliver**_

**Katie,**

**I screamed at you today, and I'm so angry. . . At both of us. I'm sorry that I can't control my anger, but the amount of ****bitch**** you're being is just plain excessive.**

**Why can't you see me for what I am, Katie? I'm angry because I'm right here for you, and you don't see that.**

**Ugh!**

**Oliver R. Wood**

_**Katie,**_

_**Today I decided to give you this journal of letters. I know they're not much, but they're all I have left to give to you. I've given you everything else: my heart, my soul and every waking minute.**_

_**Charlie said I was the only one he trusted to love you as much as he did, if not more. I love you more than Charlie ever did, and I'll love you more than any man ever will. Charlie made me promise to love and protect you, and I always will. You may not love me back, but I'll always be here for you. . . If only to stand in the shadows and cheer you on when it is your time to shine.**_

_**Katie, I wished for a long two years to be a part of your life, and now I'll wish forever to be a part of both your life and Alex's life. I'm not sure if this will ever happen, however, because I'm not sure if you can ever forgive me. I'm sorry (so sincerely) for all of the pain I've caused you.**_

_**I do not expect you to forgive me, but I will always love you.**_

_**With all of my love,**_

_**Oliver Ryan Wood**_


	22. But I'm Not Sleeping

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: This next chapter was written during an America's Next Top Model marathon, and it is quite a bit shorter than what I have been producing. Even though it is shorter, I feel that you will forgive me upon your discovery of the content. :) Thanks again for sticking with me! Oh, and this chapter title (along with the last) comes from a song entitled Letters to You by Finch. **

**International Delight**

_**Chapter Twenty-Two: But I'm Not Sleeping**_

_**(And You're Not Here)**_

I held the journal in my hand, albeit a bit loosely. Shock permeated throughout my entire being, and I barely registered the fact that I hadn't slept for over twenty-four hours. I glanced at my calender. It was Sunday, and the team wouldn't meet until around three.

I checked Alex. He was sleeping peacefully. I apparated quickly to Ginny's apartment and began to bang on her door. I was only momentarily shocked when Aidan answered in a pair of shamrock covered boxers.

"Katie!" He cried and attempted to cover himself.

I pushed past him. "Ginny!" I called. She ran from her bathroom in a robe, and I gushed, "Can you watch Alex? I've got something that I really need to take care of."

"Sure. Hey, are you okay?"

I shrugged and lifted the journal. "I'm not really sure, but I've got to take care of this situation with Wood before it gets out of hand. Alex is still sleeping."

"Kate. . ." She started slowly.

"I know, Ginny, I need to watch my temper," I replied as I walked back towards the door, "but this entire situation has been allowed to stew for far too long. I have to take some more of my own advice. I need to forgive some people, or I'll never be happy."

Ginny nodded and smiled. "I'll go to Alex right now. Aidan, will you get dressed and come down?"

"Of course; and Katie, take as long as you need. I don't have to train today. I'm more than willing to stay with Alex while everyone's at training."

A small smile filtered over my lips, and I replied simply, "Thanks a ton, Aidan. You don't know how much that means to me." he nodded, and I rushed from the flat.

I paced down the hallway of the flat building, and I Could feel my anxiety building in my stomach. I always knew that the day when I would have to confront Oliver would be a hard day for me, and I Could not believe it was actually here. For Godric's sake, what would I say to him? I didn't even know what I was feeling. How could I convey feelings to him that I couldn't identify?

I found myself outside of Oliver's flat quickly enough, but I could not make myself knock at the door. I stood there, with my fist half-raised toward the door, for what felt like hours. I stared at the wood grain of the oak door before me, but I could not push myself past panic mode.

After a few minutes, I knocked at the door. I heard no movement from within and knocked harder a few seconds later. I heard a groan from within the flat, and I was relieved to hear footsteps coming my way. However, my jaw must have hit the floor when Madelyn O'Reilly opened the door in a bedraggled manner.

"Uhm," my throat seemed to close, and I could feel the slight prickling behind my eyes that foreshadowed the escape of tears.

"Oh, Katie, thank Merlin you're here!" She cried as she pulled me into the flat.

"I. . . uh. . . what?" I questioned as I cleared my throat. I was not pleased to see Madelyn O'Reilly in Oliver's home, and I was less than pleased with my reaction to finding her there. If Oliver wanted to sleep with the fiery American girl, so be it. Who was I to judge him? I went through three wizards after he broke my heart.

Madelyn nodded as she pulled me further into the apartment. I had a sinking feeling that we were heading straight for his bedroom. "Yeah," she breathed as I tripped over a misplaced show, "he hasn't eaten in days; and even though he spends all of his time in bed, he doesn't sleep. He only drinks because Cheryl and I force him to. He would probably smell horrific, but I'm pretty nifty with a cleaning charm."

"Who?" I choked.

Madelyn stopped and turned to me. "Oliver. . . he's in a horrible state. Cheryl and I have been over here every day since Christmas trying to get him motivated. He won't bother telling us what is troubling him."

I stopped short. Oliver Wood did not act like this. Period. Something was horribly wrong. "Did someone ring a doctor?" I exclaimed heatedly.

"We did, but the doctors were unsuccessful in determining what was wrong with him. The strongest of cheering charms didn't even affect him. We've been trying to get you for days now, but you've been traveling. All of our post has come back to us unread."

"A cheering charm wasn't effective?" I demanded, and I suddenly felt a flourish of panic begin to build within me.

Madelyn shook her head. "No, and we just thought that maybe since you've known him so long you would know what was going on with him."

"I can assure you, Ms. O'Reilly, that Oliver Wood has never acted like this in the entire thirteen years I have known him." I stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh, Katie, I'm sorry. I wasn't implying that Oliver was off of his rocker or something."

I sighed. "It's fine, Madelyn. Don't worry about it. Would you mind getting one of the coaches to let you into my office? Once you do, grab my bag and bring it to me immediately."

"Of course, Katie! I'll be back in a few."

"Thanks a ton."

Madelyn nodded, and she was gone. "Oliver," I called gently as I walked into his room. The drapes were pulled, the floor was littered with clothes, and the only thing moving in the room was his caged owl.

"Madelyn," a bump from his bed moaned in a scratchy tone, "please leave me alone. I've already told you that I don't want to get up, eat, or sleep."

"After all of this time, I would think that you would know that my name is Katie, not Madelyn," I stated simply as I flicked my wand toward the floor. The mess began to clear itself. He merely groaned as I charmed the drapes open.

"What the Hell's your problem, Madelyn?" He exclaimed half-heartedly as he burrowed beneath the covers even further.

I shook my head, and my stomach twisted tighter as Madelyn came back into the room with my bag and Phil Montgomery. She handed my bag off to me as Phil exclaimed, "Bell, what's going on with Wood?"

I cleared my throat as a shocked gasp emitted from the bedding. Oliver began to (weakly) fight his way from his sheets and blankets as I replied, "Unfortunately, Phil, I haven't been able to find out. Mr. Wood is being quite uncooperative. However, judging from the symptoms that Ms. O'Reilly told me of, it sounds as if Oliver has the Carpathian flu..."

"Ms. Bell, I have never heard of the Carpathian flu," Phil stated as Madelyn shook her head disbelievingly.

"I'm not surprised, Phil. It is a very rare illness that only attacks those who have traveled in the Carpathian Mountain Range."

"And why would that be Wood's problem?" The coach asked skeptically.

I shrugged. "He has all of the symptoms."

"Wood," Phil barked at the keeper, who had just struggled his way fully out of his blankets, "have you ever been to the Carpathian Mountain Range?"

Oliver turned bewildered eyes on me. He nodded before saying, "I was stationed in the Carpathian Mountains for about a year during the war, Coach."

Phil nodded before turning on me. With a firm tone and pointed finger, he demanded, "You have him better by the end of this week, Bell. We have a match coming up against the Austin Armadillos at the end of the month, and I want my keeper in top condition."

"Yes, sir!"

"And, Wood," he pointed threateningly at the meek Scottish man across the room, "you do what Bell tells you to do. If she tells you to take a nudey dip in the lake to cleanse your pores of illness, you take a nudey dip in the lake to cleanse your pores of illness."

"Yes, sir," he coughed.

"Good. O'Reilly, get rested up before our afternoon session," he demanded as he and the beater left. I turned to Oliver, and he stared back at me with a look of pure bewilderment.

"Oliver," I stated strongly as I crossed my arms across my chest, "I believe that you and I both know that there is no such thing as the Carpathian flu."

"Why would you tell Coach I was sick with a make believe illness?" He questioned as he began to bury himself beneath his mound of covers once again.

I sighed as I conjured an armchair by his bedside. As I settled myself in comfortably with my bag and his journal, I countered, "Would you have preferred for me to tell him that you were being a depressed teen aged girl? Because I am entitled to change my diagnosis. . ."

"Katie, if you're just going to be a bitch to me, please leave," was his muffled response.

I pulled the covers away from his face to reveal dark bags under his eyes and quite the rugged beard. I held up his journal and choked, "Oliver, did you really mean what you wrote?"

He looked away and cleared his throat. "Uhm. . ."

"Oliver!" I cried.

"Yes," he countered as he sat up once again. He was shaking visibly from the effort. "Yes, Katie, I meant every damn word I said, okay?"

"No," I cried defensively, "its not okay! Why did you wait so long to send this?"

He growled and spat, "Well, I couldn't have bloody well sent you the letters in the middle of battle! It was forbidden because it might alert the enemy of our where abouts! The same is true for America; I was still on a mission!"

"After that then," I screamed.

Oliver threw his arms in the air. "How could I have given the letters to you after that? You hate me, remember? You made that quite clear at George's place in November!"

"I don't hate you," I replied numbly as I sat back in the chair in a defeated manner.

He scoffed. "You sure act like you do."

I sighed as I fumbled through my bag. Oliver was in desperate need of a vitamin supplement potion. I handed him a ready made container and began to dig further into the bag for a Pepper-Up potion. He may not have actually had the flu, but judging from the way he looked, a serious ailment was not far off.

"Take those," I demanded, and he shook his head. He pushed the potions away forcefully. I grimaced as glass shattered against his hardwood flooring.

My anger flared, and I exploded. "Can you honestly blame me for being angry, Oliver? You were my best friend, and you up and left without so much as a goodbye!"

"Well, I went to war, Katie!" He bellowed.

"Oh, don't be so righteous, Oliver! I mean before the war! Those four years before the war. Do you remember those years? You played quidditch for Puddlemere."

"I. . . Uh. . ."

"That's right, those years. Those are the years that we could have been in contact, but you chose not to be! I wrote you letters, and they all went unanswered! What did I ever do to you other than be a good friend?"

"Katie, what the Hell was I supposed to do?" He countered angrily. "You were fifteen, I was eighteen, and it was illegal! I know you were in love with me, but I was afraid of what might happen!"

"We didn't have to have sex, Oliver!" I exclaimed as I threw his journal at him. "We didn't have to partake in any type of romantic relationship at all! We simply could have been best friends!"

He turned an incredulous eye on me. "No, Katie, we couldn't have simply been best friends! I was attracted to you, and I was uncomfortable with that. I didn't want to be the quidditch star caught slipping his underage best friend the tongue!"

"Well, you didn't have to worry about it, Oliver," I exclaimed as I grabbed for my bad and stood. "Yeah, I was in love with you, but I would have never done anything to jeopardize your career. You never knew me if you thought I would."

And I was gone; at least from his bedroom. Once I was gone from the constricting room, I collapsed against the nearest wall. I was more than aware of my beating heart, haggard breathing, shaking hands, and quivering knees. My breath caught in my throat as his hands slammed against the wall on either side of my head.

"This isn't over," he snarled, and I was surprised to discover that he still smelled of polishing wax and sweet grass.

As I fought with my legs, which felt as if they were jelly, I simply stated, "Yes, it is."

"No," he shifted closer, "it isn't." My heart pounded in my chest as his chapped lips crashed against my own well kept pair. My stomach twisted, and my eyes fluttered closed. Oliver relaxed against me, and a heat began to build within me; a heat that I had only felt once before.

I began to shake my head, and he pulled away. "Katie," he whispered as he caressed my neck with his thick fingers, "I love you."

"Oliver," I whispered as I dropped my bag to the floor, "what am I supposed to say to that?"

"Oh, I don't know," he replied as his lips followed where his fingers had been, "that you love me, too?"

"And if I don't love you?" I croaked as a silly girliness I hadn't felt in a long time bubbled within me.

"You do." He stated simply.

I cocked an eyebrow and started to push him away, "Oh, and how can you tell?"

He pushed me back against the wall and kissed me again; this time a bit rougher than the time previous. "You never would have read the journal, and you definitely would have never come here if you didn't."

"You seem rather sure of yourself."

"Should I be?"

I shook my head. I couldn't believe myself. "Perhaps you should be."

He smiled widely. "I thought so," he stated, and I was lost in his warm kiss once again.


	23. Break Out

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: All right, first and foremost, I would like to thank all of my reviewers. (Thanks!) Secondly, I would like to put out that this is the next to last chapter. Now, do not be discouraged because I will have a series of Epilogue chapters (between five and six), but those I will not worry too much about until after the book is out. I just need to get the core part of the story done before tonight. (Can you believe its so close?! I'm stoked!) If I'm too discouraged by J.K.'s ending, I may not do the epilogues, but I am fairly certain that I will no matter what. Thanks for sticking with this for such a long time. (Especially those of you who have been with it from the beginning and have been so pissed that I have horrible updating habits.) You are all super fantastic!**

**On a side note, I had one reader proclaim a bit of shock over Katie accepting Oliver back so quickly (in the last chapter.) Now, the reader was in no way mean about this, and I am in no way attacking this reader (because she leaves me the most fantastic reviews/private messages EVER), but I did want to explain why Katie did accept him so quickly. Throughout the entire story, I've tried to portray Katie as a bit of a man hater (have I succeeded?), but at the same time, I have tried to make it overly apparent that those she loves, she loves to the extreme. I have also tried to portray the fact that once she **_**truly**_** loves a person, that love does not easily fade. That is why Ms. Katie Bell was so quick to take back Mr. Oliver Wood. . . And maybe she just didn't hate him as much as she thought she did. :)**

**P.S. I'm sorry this is so short. But I'm super stoked about the next chapter, and I have got to start working on it.**

**International Delight**

_**Chapter Twenty-Three: Break Out**_

"Katie," Ginny exclaimed angrily as she threw more color samples onto the table in front of me. "Get your head out of the clouds! We've got a wedding to plan!"

A giddy smile danced across my lips as I thought back on the past week. I could honestly say that it had been the best week of my life. Luckily for Oliver, Phil was convinced that he had a rare strand of the flu. Luckily for me, Phil wanted Oliver back in the game so badly that he made Oliver my only priority for the entire week. Because of the over-worried coach, I got to spend a really fantastic week with Oliver.

We were officially dating, and I could dare say that I had never been happier. Whenever Oliver looked at me, it was as if I was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Oliver also filled me with a heat that I had never experienced before (not even with Charlie). I was confident in saying that it was pure, unfiltered passion.

The first time we made love was explosive. I was sent beyond euphoria and back. I felt safe in Oliver's arms, and I knew that I had found my place in the world. I was certain that Oliver would never let me go unless I asked.

Alex was also more than pleased to be seeing more of Oliver. Ironically, once Alex found out that Oliver was around to stay for a bit, Alex's trouble in saying Oliver's name completely disappeared. I'm not entirely sure as to why the problem was there in the first place, but, perhaps, it was a security issue.

"Katie," Ginny called again.

Off-handedly, I answered, "Hmm...?"

"You see, Katie, this is exactly what I'm talking about! I realize that you're happy right now, and I'm so incredibly happy for you; but your head is in the clouds all of the time!"

I smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, Ginny-Winny."

Ginny scowled impressively. "Stop thinking about Oliver naked and start helping me."

"But, Ginny," I whined, "Oliver naked is such a nice thought."

"Katie!" She cried in exasperation, and I laughed.

Ginny and Aidan's wedding was fast approaching, and unfortunately for me, Molly and I were the only two people the frantic woman trusted enough to help with the event. If I wasn't at work or with Alex and Oliver, I was working with Ginny on wedding plans.

"Katie, should I do dress robes or muggle formal dress?" She questioned for the third time as I lazily sifted through the color samples that littered my kitchen table.

I shrugged and asked, for the third time, "Do you want to wear a gown or dress robes?"

"Well, I'd really like to wear a gown, but how would it look for me to be in muggle formal wear while the rest of the wedding party is in traditional wizard's dress robes?"

"Ginny, just look at it this way; if you and the wedding party wear muggle formal apparel, it could be in honor of your father.

Tears welled up in her eyes at the mention of Arthur Weasley. Guilt began to build in my stomach, and throughout the rest of my body, as the tears began to flow down her face. I sighed. How was it that I always managed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time? As she began to sob, I jumped up and rushed to her side of the table.

I took her into a hug and said, "Ginny, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you!"

She sniffled before moaning, "Katie, it was perfect."

"I... uh... what?"

She nodded into my shoulder as I rubbed circles on her back. "Dad would love for me to incorporate muggles into my wedding! Katie, its absolutely perfect! I'll do muggle formal wear in memory of Dad!"

"Oh." I let loose a sigh of relief. "I thought I had upset you, and I was so terribly sorry."

Ginny sniffled once again, pulled away from me, and smiled weakly. i wiped the tears from her face and kissed her forehead. "Katie, oh! Will you do me a huge favor?"

"Anything, doll. Just say it!"

"Will you design my gown and the maid's dresses?"

"Uhm, Ginny, I've only ever done robes..."

"Katie," she whined, "will you at least try?"

I gave in. "Of course I'll try."

"You're the best, Katie!"

I smiled, and we sat back at the table to discuss possible colors. The hours wore on before Ginny finally decided that she would indeed wear the customary ivory gown while the bride's maids and flower girl wore pastel pink. As we departed, Ginny was trying to figure out the likelihood of her being able to get the groom's men in pink ties or pink vests.

We bid one another goodbye, and I headed towards Oliver's flat. Upon arrival, I was met with the sight of the two important men of my life dancing about the kitchen listening to the Weird Sisters. I leaned in the doorway as a smile tugged at my lips.

After a few moments, I cleared my throat, and they both turned toward me. Oliver blushed as Alex giggled and ran towards me. He latched onto my legs and exclaimed, "Mommy, we were listening to the Weird Sisters!"

"I heard," I laughed as Oliver approached.

He kissed me quickly before asking, "How was working with Ginny?"

I sighed. "Hard, as always, but we did finally decide the colors... And that I'm designing all of the dresses."

"You're making all of the dresses?" He exclaimed as I searched for Alex's trainers. "That's really great, Kate!"

I sighed and shrugged. A grin of triumph passed over my face as I found the boy's trainers jammed under the couch. "Yes," I began while putting the shoes on my son's feet, "But I've never designed a dress before."

"That's petty," he replied as he put on his own trainers, "you design robes."

"I design quidditch robes, Oliver. Besides, as a man, you may not know that dresses and robes are two completely different things."

He rolled his eyes as we approached his ornate fireplace. "Marion will be at dinner tonight. Get with her either before dinner or after and draw up a design. I'm sure she'll be pleased to help. You don't have to spend the entire evening trying to impress my parents, they already love you."

I shook my head and grinned as he pulled a jar of floo powder from the mantle. "Oliver Wood, you surprise me sometimes."

"How so?"

As I took a pinch of the powder and tossed it into the fireplace, I exclaimed, "Well, you have never actually shown any sign of brain usage until now. WOOD MANOR!" I screamed with a laugh as he started toward me. I held Alex close to my body, and it was with a laugh that we fell out of the fireplace in the Wood's sitting room.

"Katie!" Marci exclaimed as she rushed forward. She embraced me before turning on Alex. "And how are you, Alex?"

"I'm good," he answered as I stared further into the sitting room. John Wood sat to one side with Terrance, probably discussing something quidditch related. Molly and Marion were in armchairs on the opposite side of the room talking animatedly about Godric knows what.

I smiled to Marci before Alex and I started our way towards the other aging women. I fell into an armchair and pulled Alex into my lap. "Hey, Molly. Good evening, Marion."

the sounds of Marci Wood doting on her only child soon met our ears. Molly smiled toward Marci and said, "She really is a lovely woman, Katie. I'm sure she raised a fantastic son."

I nodded in an affirmative manner as Marion said, "That Oliver always was such a sweetheart when he was in the shop. I never knew a boy to go through so many sets of quidditch robes in a year."

I smiled warmly. Oliver always had gone through a ridiculous amount of quidditch robes. In fact, during his Hogwarts days, he was known to go through a set of Marion's robes at least once a month. It was mostly due to his constant practicing and washing of the robes.

I shook my head fondly. "Speaking of sweetheart, Molly; Ginny finally decided on colors for the wedding."

"Ooh," Molly breathed, "what are they?"

"Ivory and pastel pink."

"Pink? That's horrible," Oliver stated from over my shoulder as Marci joined us. She sent her son a playful glare, and I saw him shrug from the corner of my eye.

Alex, on the other hand, nodded his head in agreement with Oliver. "Pink is a gross girly color."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Alex," Oliver replied with a laugh. "Would you like to come see all of my old toys and quidditch things, buddy?"

Alex turned hopeful eyes on my, and I laughed, "Go ahead, little man."

Alex squealed gleefully, and the pair was off to get lost in Oliver's nostalgia and toys. I shook my head as Molly asked, "So, she decided on ivory and pastel pink?"

"Yes, and it only took us three hours."

"that's good for her," Molly stated.

I nodded in agreement. "However, she also decided that she wanted me to design the dresses for her."

"You design dresses?" Marci cried joyfully.

Marion shook her head in a negative manner. "Actually, Marci, she has never designed a dress in her life."

"It's true, and Marion, I could really use some help!"

"Well, if Marci doesn't mind, we could do a little work right now."

"Of course not," she cried, and we all shared smiles. "I think it would be fantastically exciting to see you at work on these dresses!"

I smiled at the older woman. Marion drew up some paper, and we all sat around until dinner working on the dresses. I could only hope that Ginny would like them.


	24. At the End of the Day

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am. The vows I have written were based upon vows taken from the article "Wedding Vows: Little Things of Big Importance" by Debbie MacGuffie. The song I refer to that Ginny and Aidan dance to in the end, but never actually quote, is "I'm Moving On" by Rascall Flatts.**

**Author's Note: All right, kiddies! Last chapter. I do not know how long it will be, but I am very sad to see this story go. Thanks again to all of my fantastic reviewers, and I hope you stick around for the epilogue chapters. You all are super fantastic. Oh! And I'm also so sorry that this came out so late tonight. I had every intention of getting it out earlier, but I went to see Hairspray (which is fantastic, by the way), and I didn't get it done.**

**P.S. STB (who is super lovely) made a comment about pink and red being a horrible combination (and I actually agree), but fortunately for us, Ginny wears ivory and Leslie has black hair. :) Unfortunately, Bill's just going to have to deal (because I do imagine him with flaming red hair.)**

**International Delight**

_**Chapter Twenty-Four: At the End of the Day**_

_**(Will You Still Be By My Side?)**_

Fortunately for me, Ginny loved the dresses. So much in fact that she was still raving about them on her wedding day. As she floated about the room in the ball gown (Marci's idea, not mine) styled wedding dress, she exclaimed, "Katie, it is so gorgeous! I still can't believe you made it to where it fit so perfectly!"

I smiled as I examined my handy work. The dress had a simple corset-style bodice and flowed down from Ginny's body in the classic A-line shape. The skirt was embroidered with what looked like simple squiggles from far away. However, upon further and close inspection, one could see that they shapes were actually quite small phoenixes. This was Molly's idea, and she believed that it would be a nice act of homage to the lost members of the Order of the Phoenix that Ginny fought beside of. Ginny loved the gown the minute she saw it, and she conveyed hope that Aidan would love it, too.

Ginny's thick hair was curled and flowing down her back. An up-do had been considered, but when her mother pulled out her grandmother's goblin-made tiara (silver encrusted with diamonds), it was decided that the hair would look best down. She wore virtually no make-up, and the make-up she did wear was on her eyelids and lips (and was a very pale shade of pink). Overall, Ginny was looking completely gorgeous on her wedding day.

I smiled warmly at my best friend and replied, "I had a lot of help from Marci, Molly, and Marion, but I am so relieved that you like it. I do not know how I would have reacted had you not."

Ginny smiled as she looked once again into her mirror. "Stop worrying, child," the mirror chided, "you are a darling site."

Ginny chuckled nervously before turning toward me once again. "And the gowns you made for Fleur and yourself, they're so lovely!"

I smiled as I looked down at my dress. Fleur and I were both wearing A-line dresses in a pastel pink. Fleur's belly, of course, stuck out precariously, but she looked absolutely gorgeous and did not mind at all. I rubbed my hands of the chiffon material of my dress before smiling up at my best friend. "I really like it a lot."

"You two are going to look gorgeous coming down the aisle! I'm so glad that I managed to convince Bill and Adrian to wear pink vests." I scowled at the mention of Adrian Troy. I disliked him immensely, but he was Aidan's best friend, and I was obliged to walk down the aisle with him. Fortunately for me, it was the only time I would walk down the aisle with him, and I was not obligated to even be friendly towards him.

"Oh, stop looking so sour, Katie," Ginny scolded as Leslie ran through in her tiered (from the waist down) flower girl dress. Her hair was pulled awkwardly into a flowing ponytail, with curled wisps streaking down around her face, and she looked absolutely darling. "I know that you do not like Adrian; in fact, I'm none too happy about his involvement, either; but he is Aidan's best friend. All you have to do is walk down the aisle with him and smile in a couple of pictures. It shouldn't be too difficult."

I sighed and slipped into my fantastically flat (pastel pink) pumps and said, "All right, Ginny, I'll do it for you and Aidan, but only because I love the both of you dearly. If this were anyone else, I would not do it at all. Now, I'm going to send Molly in here, and I am going to go to the groom's tent to make sure that Alex is dressed properly."

Ginny nodded, and I quickly escaped the confines of the bride's tent. The wedding was being held at Stonehenge. A strong concealment charm was placed over the area, and three tents had popped up outside of the circle of stones. One was the bride's tent, another was the groom's, and the last and largest was the tent where the reception would be held. Yes, it was February, and it was cold in England, but Ginny would never give up her wizarding heritage. Besides, the concealment charm could be described as more of a concealment bubble with heating. It was actually quite comfortable outside of the tents.

I shook all thoughts from my head and paced toward the Groom's tent. Before entering, I called, "It's Katie! Is everyone decent? I've come to check on Alex."

"Come in, Katie," Aidan called, and I pulled back the flap. I entered to see all of the men dressed and ready to go. I checked a clock hanging on the wall and scoffed when it pointed Aidan's hand to "Mortal Peril."

Aidan pointed to Bill, who shrugged with a sly smirk, and a giggled. I shook my head and went about searching for my son. I found him cuddled up in Oliver's lap in a secluded part of the tent, and I smiled as I sat on the plush sofa alongside of them. Oliver grinned weakly, and I couldn't help but notice how adorable my two men looked in tuxedos.

"How are you guys doing?" I asked as Alex fiddled with his shirt collar.

Oliver shrugged. "Okay, I guess. You look gorgeous, doll."

I smiled and leaned over to pop him a kiss and kiss Alex's forehead. "You two clean up rather nicely yourselves. Do you know what to do Alex?"

"Yeah, Mommy. I go up to Aunt Ginny and Uncle Aidan after they give the rings to each other. I give them their wands, and I go back to my seat."

I smiled warmly and reached over to fix his hair. "That is exactly right, baby. You'll do wonderfully."

"Thanks, Mommy," he replied, and he scooted from Oliver's lap. He snuggled in between the two of us, and we stayed like that together until fifteen minutes before the ceremony.

I found myself, far sooner than I would have liked, lined up alongside of Adrian waiting to enter the circle of stone pillars that was Stonehenge. The four violinists began to play Pachelbel's Canon in D Major, and Bill and Fleur began the march into the circle of ancient stones. Adrian and I followed at a steady pace, and the four of us soon joined Aidan and the Ministry official at the center of the stone pillars. Leslie followed behind us and sprinkled the palest of pink rose petals along the wide ivory carpet that led into the stone pillars. Witches and wizards were gathered in a circle, almost amphitheatre like, seating arrangement all around us.

Gasps perforated through the crowd as Ginny appeared on the end of the ivory carpet. Her hair burned in the late winter sunshine, and her dress shone beautifully. From the corner of my eye, I spotted both Aidan and Molly's reactions. Aidan's mouth dropped open slightly, and Molly began to sob into a white handkerchief. Ginny stood fifteen feet away from us before the music stopped.

The Ministry official cleared her throat before asking, "Who here gives this woman away to be married?"

Molly stood and sniffled, "I do, in the name of her late father."

The official nodded, and Ginny finished her march. Once she stood by Aidan's side, they grasped hands momentarily. The official cleared her throat as I search the front row for Oliver and Alex. They were a few seats down from Molly, and both had interesting expressions on their faces. Alex looked as if he was going to be sick from his nerves, and Oliver was tight-lipped and glaring. I followed his line of vision straight to Adrian, who was staring at me as if I were reminiscent to a piece of meat. I grimaced before turning my attention back to the official.

"Dearly beloved," she was saying, "we are gathered here today to celebrate the bond of marriage between Aidan Lynch and Guinevere Weasley. This bond is more than a bond of simple magic; it is the bond of the strongest magic of all; love."

My mind drifted quickly to Harry. He believed that the strongest type of magic was love, and I knew if he were watching down on this wedding, he would be pleased with the words of the official. "It is fitting that we speak of love. We live in two worlds, the wizarding and the muggle, of joy and fear, and we all search for meaning and strength in seeming disorder. We discover the truest guidelines to our quest when we realize love in all of its magnitudes. Love is the eternal and magical source of life. Love is the force that allows us to face the unknown with great courage.

"If you would have the foundation of your union be the love you have for one another," she was addressing Aidan and Ginny once more, "not just at this moment, but for all of the days ahead, then cherish the hopes, dreams, and magic you bring here today. Resolve that your love with never be blotted out by the commonplace nor obscured by the ordinary in life.

"Devotion, joy, magic, and love can grow only if you nurture them together. Stand fast in hope and confidence, believing in your shared future just as strongly as you believe in yourselves and in each other today. In this spirit, you can create a bond that will strengthen and sustain you all of the days of your lives."

"Guinevere," she turned to Ginny, who was shaking slightly, and continued, "will you have this wizard to be your husband, to live together in the bond of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, in good spell and bad," a few of the attendees laughed at this point, "and forsaking all others, being faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I will."

The official nodded as if in confirmation before turning toward Aidan. "Aidan, will you have this witch to be your wife, to live together in the bond of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, in good spell and bad, and forsaking all others, being faithful to her as long as you both shall live."

Aidan managed to croak, "I will."

"Aidan, please repeat after me," the official began, and Aidan nodded. "I, Aidan, take you Guinevere to be my wife."

"I, Aidan, take you Guinevere to be my wife."

"To have and to hold from this day forward," provided the official.

"To have and to hold from this day forward."

"For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, for magic and love, in sickness and in health."

Aidan croaked again as he repeated, "For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, for magic and love, in sickness and in health."

"To love and to cherish until death do us part."

He confidently stated, "To love and to cherish until death do us part."

Ginny repeated after the official, "I, Guinevere, take you Aidan to be my husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, for magic and love, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish until death do us part."

A sigh of content rushed through the crowd as the official reflected, "This is a moment of celebration. Let it also be a moment of dedication. The world does a good job of reminding us of how fragile we are. Individuals are fragile; relationships are fragile, too. Each marriage needs the love, nurture, magic, and support of a network of friends and family. On this wedding day, I ask you not only to be friends of Aidan or Guinevere, but friends of Aidan and Guinevere together, friends of the relationship and magic it creates.

"May the love you have found grow in meaning and strength until its beauty is shown in a common devotion to all that is compassionate and life-giving. May the flow of your love help brighten the fate of the earth. May the source of all love touch and bless us and grace our lives with color and courage."

At this point, Ronny stumbled from his seat on the front row to bring the rings to Aidan and Ginny. He stood a few feet away from them as the official began, "From the earliest times, the circle has been the symbol of completeness, a symbol of committed love. This very circle that we are in now is one of the most ancient and important symbols of love. Merlin himself, the father of our wizardry, created this temple, as some my call it, in honor of his love, Calypso. Merlin could never be with the goddess of the waters, but he showed his faith to his beloved through the completion of Stonehenge.

"An unbroken and never ending circle symbolizes a commitment of love that is also never ending. As often as either of you looks at this symbol, I hope that you will be reminded of the commitment to love each other, which you have made today. Repeat after me, Aidan."

Aidan reached for Ginny's ring as he repeated, "I, Aidan, give to you Guinevere, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. With this ring, I thee wed." He slipped the ring on her shaking hand and gave her a soft and loving smile.

Ginny repeated the process almost flawlessly, even if she was shaking horribly. "I, Guinevere, give to you Aidan, this ring, as a symbol of my commitment to love, honor, and respect you. With this ring, I thee wed."

A smatter of applause scattered through the audience as Ronny returned to his seat and Alex headed towards the couple with their wands. "Magic, as you both know," the ministry official began as they drew their wands and pointed them at one another's chests where their hearts would be, "is an important part of any wizard's or witch's life. Magic is more than just a few misplaced spells here and there. Magic is the core to each of your beings, and your beings are now entwined. In life, when things are not all well, you must remember that love is the strongest magic of all.

"With your wands directed at the other's life source, I want you to repeat after me," the official began.

Both Ginny and Aidan chanted, "I vow, from now until the death do us part, to love, cherish, and protect you throughout our lives. I vow to support you in all that you do, and I vow to love you no matter what." As they spoke, strands of vibrant light stretched over their bodies and pulled them closer together as it entwined them. "I vow to be committed to you and you alone. As our magic entwines, I vow to be with you in this life and the next."

The official smiled over the blinding light and exclaimed, "Before this gathering, Aidan Lynch and Guinevere Weasley have promised each other their love; and have given each other rings and joined their magic as one as signs of deep commitment. Therefore, by the power vested in me, by the United Kingdom's Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Aidan Lynch!" The official cried, and a roar rose through the crowd.

Tears trickled down my face as Aidan and Ginny shared their first married kiss. I was so thankful that Ginny had found Aidan. He had allowed her to put Harry behind her, and he brought a happiness back to Ginny that had been buried for years. The strands that had entwined their bodies exploded away from them and showers of bright sparks rained down on the wedding party. I wiped the tears from my face as we began the recessional from the center of Stonehenge into the reception tent.

Over the next several hours, I found myself being cajoled into photo after photo and dance after dance with Adrian. All of it was in the name of the wedding photos for Aidan and Ginny, but I often times found myself looking towards Oliver and finding him glaring at the space occupied by Adrian close by. Dinner was served around seven, and Ginny and Aidan shared one more dance (to a muggle song about moving on from the past I had never heard) before apparating away for their honeymoon.

Once the lovely couple was gone, I was finally able to collapse as a table as far from the dance floor as possible. I had also hidden myself in the shadows as to avoid all of the reporters that had made it into the reception in the past ten minutes. Bill was currently working on ridding the tent of them, but I wanted to stay as hidden as possible, lest they wish to talk to me of Ginny's relationship or even my own personal life.

I had just started to doze when I noticed flickering in the flames of the candles on the table before me. I stared closely to reveal Charlie staring back up at me with a smile. "So, I see that you finally realized that Oliver was the one for you."

Curtly, I replied, "In January, Charlie."

He nodded as his smile faded. A bit sadly, he said, "I'm glad you finally forgave him."

"You don't sound glad."

He shrugged, "I wanted to be the one where he is now."

"Huh?" I asked, and he motioned over my shoulder. I turned in my seat to see Oliver standing above me muttering to himself.

"Oliver?" I questioned.

He looked down at me and said, "Are you done with pictures with Adrian?"

My eyes grew wide, and I replied, "I have been for quite a while. Are you okay?" He was shaking visibly, and his cheeks were tinged with pink.

"I'm sorry, Katie, but I'm mad as Hell."

"Why?" I asked as he sat on the ground at my feet and rested his head on my lap.

As I began to stroke his head gently, he replied, "It was really hard for me to see you up there with him. You're so incredibly beautiful and talented, and he couldn't see that. I'm mad as Hell that he treated you the way he did. I'm also not happy over the fact that you had to spend all of that time with him and not with me."

"Oliver," I chided gently.

He sighed as he looked up at me seriously, "I know, Katie, I shouldn't act so childish. But I can honestly say that I am content with one thing that I'll be able to do that he won't."

"What's that?" I asked as he began to fumble around a bit.

Oliver pulled a velvet box from his pocket and popped it open. "Ask you to marry me." My mouth dropped, and he said, "Katie, please. I've been in love with you for years, and these past couple of months have been the best of my life. I want to be with you for the rest of time, and I would really like to be Alex's father. Will you marry me?"

I nodded as I felt tears well up behind my eyes. Oliver slipped the ring onto my fingers and jumped up and kissed me at the same time that I heard Charlie whisper, "Thank you, Katie, for finally setting me free." And I knew, from that very moment, that I would never be riddled with problems of love ever again.

**Fin.**


	25. Epilogue One: The Children

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am. The first song in this chapter is "It Takes Two" from the Broadway production of Hairspray. The second song in the chapter is "Under the Covers" by the Spill Canvas. I can, in no way possible, take credit for either of these songs. They were created by those who are far more talented than I.**

**Author's Note: Well, kids... Here's the first ****Epilogue****! It is another fairly short one, but I think it is pretty effing good. (I might be wrong, however.) I hope you enjoy! Thanks for all of the support!**

**International Delight**

_**Epilogue One: The Children**_

"I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Wood!" Cheers exploded through the crowd outside of my cottage, and a huge smile plastered over my face. I turned back to Oliver once again, and he kissed me deeply.

Once he pulled away, he whispered, "Katie, I love you."

"I love you, too, Oliver. So so much..." I replied, and our lips found their way to one another once again. Heat began to build within me, but we broke away from one another when someone cleared their throat.

I finally realized that the recessional music was playing, and I smiled gratefully at Ginny and Krystal. Oliver and I locked hands, and we walked down the aisle and into our reception tent. We were immediately met by a rush of warm air, which was a nice contrast to the cool Scottish air that permeated through the air on this Friday the Thirteenth in September.

Oliver pulled me into a tight embrace, and we swayed on the spot as people poured into the tent. A bulb flashed as Oliver kissed the top of my head, and I grinned at our friend Lee Jordan, whom had graciously agreed to take off from his advertising stint in Japan long enough to photograph our wedding. He swatted a floating candle away from his head as Marci and John approached us.

Oliver released me to receive an emotional hug from his father. Both men had tears on their faces, and I couldn't stop the tear that fell when Marci embraced me. His parents eventually switched places with one another, and John placed a kiss on my cheek as he hugged me to him closely.

"We're proud to have you in our family, Katie," he whispered, and I choked up once again.

"I'm proud, as is Alex," I croaked, "to be part of your family, Mr. Wood."

"Nonsense, Mrs. Wood," he replied as he wiped the tears from my face. John held my face in between his two hands, in the way that only a father could get away with, and he said, "The honor is all ours."

Marci and John moved away from us and were quickly replaced by Marion and Terrance. As Marion enveloped me and whispered, "Congratulations!", Terrance gripped Oliver's hand tightly and exclaimed, "You had better keep her happy, young man. Otherwise, I will be forced to tear you limb from limb. Do you understand?"

Oliver nodded grimly as I laughed. "Terrance," I chided, "that is quite uncalled for. I can assure you of that."

"Katie, you're like a daughter," he replied, "and I won't stand for any other man to hurt you."

Terrance hugged me as Marion congratulated Oliver. "Terrance, I'm confident in saying that Oliver won't hurt me."

The old man nodded and with a smile, he and his wife moved away from us. Krystal and Zachary Norton approached us next. I smiled as their entwined fingers and found myself being glad that I had been quite incorrect about Zach's intentions. He was sincere in his relationship with my sister, and he treated her like a princess.

The stream of people seemed to be never ending, and it seemed that those I really wished to see were hanging back near the end of the line. I shook ever more hands and smiled at more well wishers before I finally caught a glimpse of multiple heads of red hair that proved that the Weasleys were close, along with my son. As the Weasley clan approached, I was relieved to see that they were the only people remaining in what had been a monumental line.

Molly was the first to rush forward. She hugged and kissed my face multiple times as tears flowed freely. "Oh, Katie," she moaned. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, Molly," I replied as the woman whom had treated me as one of her own heaved a huge sob.

"Just remember, Katie, even if you are officially Mrs. Katie Wood, you and Alex will always be a part of the Weasley family!"

I nodded, and she moved on to my husband. "Oliver!" She cried, and I grinned.

"Mommy!" Alex cried as he busted his way through Bill and Fleur's legs. Fleur shrieked as she clutched to baby Giselle. 'Sorry,' I mouthed as Alex latched onto my legs. She shrugged with a smile, and I reached down for my son.

Alex jumped into my arms as Bill, Fleur, Ronny and Giselle approached. "Eet was beautiful, Katie!" Fleur cried as Bill clapped Oliver on the back and mock whispered, "I told you to get out while you still could!"

"Bill," I scolded, and I laughed along with the others. They moved on, and we were greeted by the twins and their significant others. A few hilarious moments later, they had moved on, and we were faced with the sight of an exuberant Ginny and Aidan.

"Katie, oh Godric, that was beautiful! I cried so much when Alex gave you away," Ginny cried as she embraced both Alex and I tightly. Aidan nodded in agreement and added, "You two are absolutely perfect for one another! I have never seen such a great pair, except for maybe Ginny and myself."

Oliver and I laughed before sending the pair away. Lee approached. "This wedding really is fantastic, you two." We smiled, and he went on, "Would you like to get family photos now, or would you like to dance first?"

"Dance!" Oliver cried quickly, and Alex began to wiggle semi-violently in my arms. I let him down as I looked at Oliver with an upturned eyebrow. "What?" He defended, "I have a good song for you!"

I rolled my eyes as he pulled me toward the dance floor. "Ladies and gentlemen," our DJ called, "Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Wood!" Our guests clapped and cheered politely as Oliver spun me in a circle. I smiled at him, and his brown eyes sparkled mischievously.

He tucked me into his arms, and we swayed as the music started. However, my jaw dropped, and I pulled away from his as I heard the first two lines. "_They say it's a mans world, well that cannot be denied,_" a teenage voice crooned.

Oliver laughed and pulled me back as the song continued. "_But what good's a man's world without a woman by his side? And so I will wait until the moment you decide._"

He dipped me, and I smiled at him warmly. Perhaps he wasn't as much of a pig as I had thought. He pulled me back into his arms and kissed me as the song continued.

"_That I'm your man_

_And you're my girl_

_That I'm the sea_

_And you're the pearl_

_Its takes two, baby_

_It takes two."_

Marci and John joined us on the dance floor at this point. Marion and Terrance weren't far behind, and I smiled when I saw Molly twirling about with Alex in her arms. More Weasleys flowed onto the floor, and I actually giggled as Phil Montgomery pulled his protesting wife onto the floor.

"_A king ain't a king_

_Without the power behind the throne_

_A prince is a pauper_

_Without a chick to call his own_

_So please, darling, choose me_

_I don't wanna rule alone_

_Tell me,_

_I'm your king_

_And you're my queen_

_That no one else can come between_

_It takes two, baby_

_It takes two._"

"Oliver," I whispered before placed a chaste kiss on his lips, "you're sweet."

"Anything for you, doll." I smiled.

The song continued on behind us, and I found myself lost in the chocolaty depths of Oliver's eyes. We shared another kiss, and I couldn't believe how lucky I was to have him. We broke apart as the singer crooned one last, "_It takes two._"

"Oliver," I giggled, "where in the world did you find that song?"

He smiled brightly. "Believe it or not, Krystal isn't the only one who enjoys seeing stuff on Broadway. That song was in a musical that Mom, Dad and I saw last Christmas. It was called _Hairspray_."

"I'm afraid mine for you is simply a song Krystal played for me a couple of weeks ago," I replied as soft music filled the air.

He pulled me tight once again as we swayed. "I'm sure it is beautiful."

"It isn't half as beautiful as you."

He chuckled. "You're sweet."

"Anything," I began to mock, "for you, doll." He smiled wider.

"_I'm bottling up your soft, dream-like scent_

_In my head for the ride home_

_I've been searching with bruised limbs_

_For ways to get me going_

_For ways to get my going_

_To give me confidence to stand_

_And observe the world_

_To give me confidence to stand._"

Tears dripped down my face and into his jacket as the soft, romantic music continued to play. Oliver was so perfect, and I couldn't believe that he was mine for the rest of time. I probably didn't deserve such a wonderful husband, but I would always thank my lucky stars (and Charlie) for him. Oliver lifted my face and kissed the tears away.

"_If I could sleep forever_

_Would you still be in my dreams_

_If I could sleep forever_

_Would you still be in my dreams (my dreams)_

_If I could sleep forever (if I could sleep forever)_

_Would you still be in my dreams (would you still be in my dreams)_

_If I could sleep forever (if I could sleep forever)_

_Would you still be in my dreams (would you still be in my dreams)_

_Under the covers_

_Under the covers_

_Under the covers_

_Under the covers._"

"Excuse me," a slow and steady, yet demanding voice called from beside us, "Mr. and Mrs. Wood, I need a word."

I turned to see the Minister of Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt, standing next to us. A think manila envelope was held in his equally as thick hands, and my heart thumped in my chest. What in the world could have happened that required the Minister to bring business to a wedding where he was a guest? Minister Shacklebolt led us to a fairly secluded table, and we all sat about it.

"Minister Shacklebolt," Oliver began.

The Minister corrected him. "You may call me Kingsley, Oliver. We fought the same war."

Oliver nodded, and with tight lips, he asked, "Kingsley, what is it that you need?"

Kingsley motioned to me before saying, "I heard that you were having some problems convincing Seamus Finnegan to sign over his parental rights to Alex." I nodded, and he held up the envelope. "I pursued Mr. Finnegan personally when I found out that he had not had the papers signed this morning. I have in here the adoption papers for one Alexander James Wood."

Oliver grasped my hand firmly, and my eyes began to water. I had been fighting with Seamus for months to sign the adoption papers. Even though Seamus had never had anything to do with Alex, he was the father named on the birth certificate, therefore he had parental rights. He had asked me how he could sign over parental rights for a child that was not his. He refused to sign the papers.

"Also," Kingsley began, "I have the adoption papers for..."

My head had whipped around before he could even finish his sentence. I quickly found Molly standing with her hands on Alex's and Leslie's shoulders. She was smiling widely, and my mind flashed back to the day that I had asked Molly if Oliver and I could adopt Leslie.

_**"Molly," I started as a cool breeze blew my lilac colored skirt around my calves. We were sitting on the back porch of the Burrow swinging and sipping hot tea, "I already know that what I'm going to ask you is huge."**_

_**I paused, and she smiled kindly. "It is perfectly fine, Katie. I'm not going to scold you."**_

_**"Well," I began with an air of uncertainty, "it is just that ever since Charlie visited me, I have had a lot of different feelings spinning around inside of me."**_

_**"That is perfectly understandable, Katie."**_

_**"Well, Molly, it's just that Charlie mentioned that he didn't even consider me until he knew that I would accept and love Leslie as my own. . ." I trailed off.**_

_**"You want to adopt her, Katie?" I looked into my tea sheepishly, and Molly continued, "Charlie told me that you might want to some day. I won't stop you, Katie, but I'll only allow it if Leslie wants to."**_

A huge smile broke over my face as Kingsley said, "I am proud to inform you that your adoption has cleared for Miss Leslie Jane Weasley-Wood." I quickly jumped from my seat and ran to where Molly stood with my two children. I hugged her quickly before dropping down to hug Leslie and Alex tightly.

"Mommy," Alex began with his own level of uncertainty, "is Oliver my daddy, now?" I nodded to him, and he seemed to chew on this information a bit. A huge smile exploded onto his face, and he pulled from my grip. He ran to Oliver as he cried, "Daddy!" My son spilled into my husband's lap, and they both laughed as they hugged.

I turned warm and loving eyes on Leslie. Her eyes were burning bright, and a small quivery smile graced her full lips. "Les, I would like to be the first to welcome you to the Wood family. I also want you to know that I am so fantastically proud o have you as a daughter."

"Katie," she began in a questioning tone, "do I have to call you and Oliver. . ."

I cut her off. "Baby, you can call us whatever you wish to call us. You don't have to call us Mom and Dad if you don't want to."

Leslie cocked her head to the side. "I was going to ask if I have to call you guys Katie and Oliver because I would rather just call you Mom and Dad. I understand that you aren't my real parents, but I think Daddy would want it this way."

Molly beamed down at us, and I nodded to the young girl; my daughter. I stood up and began to pull her over to Oliver and Alex. Upon arrival, Alex was changed to my arms, and Oliver raised Leslie up. He kissed her cheek as Lee approached and asked, "May I have the pleasure of getting the first photo of the Wood family?"

Oliver shifter Leslie to his left hip, I shifted Alex to my right hip, and Oliver and I placed our free arms around each other's waists. Lee snapped the photo as we smiled proudly. It was the only photo that he had available for us before we left for our honeymoon.

As Oliver and I laid entwined in a tangle of nude limbs later that night, we stared at the photo together. He kissed my cheek and mumbled, "We're going to be the perfect family, Katie."

"Oliver, we're already the perfect family," I corrected.

He smiled as he began to kiss my neck. "You're right," he muttered before flicking the lights out.

I giggled. "I love you, Oliver Ryan Wood."


	26. Epilogue Two: Charles and Arthur

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am. **

**Author's Note: I feel safe in saying that I am so pleased with this chapter. :) I mean, honestly, it is just one of my favorites, and I'm afraid that it may be because of a healthy amount of Oliver bashing. No worries, though, we still love him tons. Thanks loads to all of my reviewers, and I can't even begin to explain how happy you all make me. 'Nuff said. Onward, ho!**

**P.S. It will probably be a few days before the next update. I haven't started the next chapter, and I'm not going to be home tomorrow night.**

**International Delight**

_**Epilogue**__** 02: Charles and Arthur**_

"I hate you, Oliver Ryan Wood!" I screamed as I threw one of our wedding pictures at my husband.

He easily caught the silver framed picture and placed it on our dresser. He raised his arms appeasingly and started, "Now, Katie darling. . ."

"Don't you _Katie darling_ me, you son of a bitch!" I cried as I tossed our golden snitch paper weight at him.

"Katie, please," he pleaded as the snitch made it safely to our dresser top, as well, "you have to let me get close enough to you to help!"

I snarled and tears formed in my eyes. "Letting you get close to me got me here, you bastard! I don't want your help!"

"Katie," he begged, and I could see the tears forming in his eyes, "We've got to get you to the hospital! None of us can deliver a baby! Please."

Oliver began to approach me once again, and I screamed, "Get me George, or I won't go!"

"Will you really go if I fetch George?"

Another contraction screamed through my body, and I cried out in pain. I had never been cursed with the Cruciatus, but I was positive that it couldn't be nearly as bad as labor or childbirth. "Katie," he cried as he began to approach once again.

"GET GEORGE!" I pleaded, and my frazzled husband ran from our bedroom. It was Friday, June 13, and I was due to the date to give birth to my child. The Weasley clan had arrived a week ago, to ensure that they would be here when the newest member of the family arrived, and Phil had put them up in a couple of flats down the hall from our own.

Moments after my husband disappeared, he reappeared with George leading the way. "George," I cried, literally, with relief as he rushed toward my side. I reached my arms for him, and he helped me from my bed.

"Katie, wouldn't you like Oliver to help you?" He questioned as we waddled toward the fireplace in mine and Oliver's home.

Oliver started to approach, and I glared at him with malice. I exclaimed, "You keep him away from me! I hate him!"

George sent him a sympathetic glance and said, "Grab your bag and bring the kids along. The rest of the family will be there quickly enough."

Oliver nodded, and George threw a pinch of our floo powder into the grate. We stepped inside, and he bellowed, "St. Mungo's Maternity Ward!" We began to spin, much more gently than usual, and we were spit gently into the maternity ward at the wizarding hospital.

A Medi-Witch rushed to our side with a wheelchair, and I dropped into it gratefully. "What's her name?" The young witch demanded.

"Katelinn Wood," George replied calmly as I was rolled toward a room. George followed and helped me into the bed. The witch performed all of the necessary spells to monitor mine and the baby's vital signs, and she gave me a very low-scale pain reducing potion (anything stronger could have harmed the baby).

"Okay, Mr. Wood," the witch began.

"Oh no," he replied startled, "I'm George Weasley!"

"You are the father, right?"

"No!" He cried, "That baby's daddy is Oliver Wood!"

The witch sighed and said, "I've got to get a doctor, Mr. Weasley. It would be advisable if you would get the father into the room as quickly as possible."

George nodded, and the sassy blond left the room. "George," I moaned as a less painful contraction swept through my body, "I don't want to see Oliver ever again!"

He approached and took my hand. I could tell that he regretted his decision a moment later as I experienced another of the extremely painful labor pains. "Katie, it's the father that sees the baby be born, not the best friend. Beside, I don't think I can handle you breaking my fingers over and over again."

He managed to pull his fingers from my vice-like grip, and George quickly ran from the room. Seconds later, the Medi-Witch and doctor rushed in. "Well, Mrs. Wood," the doctor began as he checked my vitals, "I believe the last time I saw you, you were still Miss Bell."

"Oh yeah, well. . . I'm married this time," I groaned out as Oliver raced into the room. He was getting ever closer to my bed when I screamed, "Don't you come any closer, you bastard!"

"Are you the father?" Dr. Welsh asked my distressing husband with a bit of laughter in his voice.

Oliver nodded. "Yes, I'm Oliver Wood."

"Well, Mr. Wood," Dr. Welsh began, "you might as well make yourself comfortable," the middle aged doctor pointed to a chair, "This looks like it'll be another hour or so."

"An hour?" I cried as Oliver cautiously sat in the chair next to my hospital bed.

Dr. Welsh nodded in the affirmative before replying, "Yes, Mrs. Wood, it could be around another hour. You're not quite ready yet. You have your husband here to keep you company."

"I don't care! I hate the son of a bitch! He did this to me," I cried as I rolled away from my husband.

As Dr. Welsh left the room, I heard him whisper to Oliver, "Don't worry about it much, Mr. Wood. They all say that to their significant others. In fact, my wife still sometimes tells me that she hates me for it, and our last child left Hogwarts only a few days ago."

The door to the room closed soon thereafter, and I heard Oliver sigh. A few uncomfortable minutes passed before he cleared his throat. "Katie, do you remember the day you told me you were pregnant?"

I rolled my eyes. Of course I remembered the day I told Oliver I was pregnant. I was a woman; that was my job, right? To cook, clean, make babies, and remember all of the important dates that my husband didn't. I scowled.

Silence permeated throughout the room for fifteen minutes or so before he said, "It was at the end of October, and I was finally painting Leslie's room that bubblegum pink color that the two of you wanted it to be. Alex and I were both actually quite disgusted with the idea of having a pink room in our extremly manly atmosphere. Did you know? We never said anything about it, but I know you could tell."

He was quite correct. I knew for sure that he and Alex disliked the idea of a pink room. I wasn't shocked, though, because I knew they both disliked the color pink. Their dislike was half of the reason Leslie and I chose to have her new bedroom that particular color.

When I refused to answer, he continued on, "Well, I had just sat on the floor to mix more paint when you walked in. You were still in your pajamas and your hair was half-down from the ponytail you had put it in the night before."

I rolled my eyes. I remembered all of this in detail. It was a Saturday. Oliver and I were both off from work, and the children were entertaining themselves with some muggle board games Oliver had bought for them. Oliver had been working on painting the room since right after breakfast, and I had found it endearing that he had wanted to try it the muggle way. "It just looks better!" He had defended.

"I remember thinking that you had never looked better, and not just because you looked completely laid back. You were glowing. I thought that Leslie might have accidentally put a shimmering spell on you since her magic had been starting to show. I didn't think it was too far fetched since she had put the sunshine charm on Alex the day previous."

I might have smiled a bit had I not been so pissed at him. He was rambling. Oliver sighed before putting a voice to my thoughts. "I'm rambling. But you did look gorgeous, and you were bringing me that fantastic peanut butter, banana, and orange marmalade sandwich that I'm so fond of."

I nearly gagged at the thought of the sandwich that he did like so much. He had introduced the sandwich to me during our first summer together, and I ad never been able to stomach the sandwich. It was far too sweet for my liking, and I was actually quite appalled by the fact that Oliver was so fond of the sandwich. He was actually unusually anal about eating nutritiously.

"And you sat there in the floor with me," he recalled fondly, "and we just talked."

He paused, and I heard him sigh. He was more than likely recalling the conversation we had had. I had to admit that it was one worth remembering. It wasn't necessarily memorable for content, but more for just the fun quality it of.

_**"You're looking good, hot stuff," I had interjected as I handed him his sandwich. He nodded in an affirmative manner as I took a swig from the glass of milk I had brought for him.**_

_**"That my milk?" He asked thickly a moment later. I nodded, and he held out his hand for it. I shook my head "no" and grinned impishly. Oliver had sighed, but he consented to play along with my game. "And why can't I have my milk?"**_

_**"Why, Mr. Wood," I began, while mocking the slow, drawn-out speech pattern of the locals," I had to work hard to get this milk, and you want to just take it from me?"**_

_**He shook his head with a laugh and asked, "You call going to the grocery hard work?"**_

_**I had mocked a shocked gasp at that point. I carried on with the Southern-Belle accent, "Are you implying that I did not actually milk the cow from which this deliciously satisfying glass of milk came?"**_

_**"C'mon, Katie, can I please have the milk? Peanut butter is sticking to the roof of my mouth!"**_

_**"And if I give you this milk," I began in an imploring manner, "what will I get?"**_

_**Oliver cocked an eyebrow as I held the glass right outside of his comfortable reaching range. "Well," he began as he rubbed his stubbly chin in thought, "I dare say that I would give you just about anything for that glass of milk."**_

_**"Then it's an accord," I inserted before handing him the milk. I watched as he finished his sandwich and gulped the milk down. I allowed him a moment of contented peace before stating simply, "My payment, please."**_

_**"Hmm?"**_

_**I placed my hands on my hips as comfortably as I could in my seated position. He had recently leaned against Leslie's bed and closed his eyes, however, and could not see the stern glance I was throwing him. I cleared my throat, and one of his eyes popped open. He smiled very sweetly as I exclaimed, "I would very much like to receive my payment from you, Mr. Wood."**_

_**"And for what are you asking, Mrs. Wood?"**_

_**My simple reply was, "A kiss."**_

_**"I don't know," he began with uncertainty, and I glared playfully. "Oh, fine, you have persuaded me."**_

_**I smiled as he scooted towards me on the floor. Oliver leaned in to kiss me, but I shook my head and pulled away. "Huh?" He questioned, and I pointed to my cheek. He rolled his eyes before placing the kiss in the desired area. When he pulled away, I pointed to the other cheek. He complied to my wishes, and I giggled like a school girl getting her first kiss.**_

_**Our games continued for a few minutes before I pointed to my mouth. He laughed and mumbled, "Finally! I thought I might have married a prude!" His kiss was sweet and to the point.**_

Silence drowned throughout the room once again. We were both lost in our thoughts, and a fair amount of time had gone by. I was suddenly feeling as if the pain-potion the Medi-Witch had given me was wearing off. It was as Oliver began the story again that I realized that my baby was coming and fairly soon, at that.

"It was just a few moments after the kiss that you told me that we needed to have a serious conversation. From your tone, I honestly thought that you were going to tell me that you had changed your mind and really wanted a divorce from me."

"Oliver!' I cried as I began to turn back to him. Where in the Hell was that bloody doctor when I needed him?"

"Yeah, Katie, I know it was foolish of me to think that, but it was all that possessed. . ."

"Oliver!" I cut him off with a strangled cry, and I reached my hand out for his. I didn't care how much I hated him; I needed his comfort.

"Oh Godric!" He exclaimed, and his clammy hand made contact with my own sweaty and trembling one. Oliver used his wand to send the blue sparks through door that implied I was in need of a doctor's assistance.

"Only forty-five minutes, Mrs. Wood?" Dr. Welsh asked while he walked into the room pulling on latex gloves. His sassy blond Medi-With sashayed in while doing the same. "I was under the impression that you were very punctual." No one laughed at his joke. "Although, I do suppose that being early is never a problem."

Dr. Welsh quickly made his way across the room. A pain filled my body moments later, and I felt as if I were being torn to pieces. "I'm going to have to ask you to push, Katie darling. This baby isn't waiting for anyone."

I obliged to his wished. I squeezed tightly on Oliver's hand as he whispered sweet nothings to me. I pushed as hard as I could until I felt free. Moments later, a cry filled the air, and Dr. Welsh exclaimed, "It's a boy!"

Happiness flooded through my body, and Oliver was just leaning down for a kiss when pain gripped me once again. I screamed and grasped onto Oliver's hand hard enough to cause him to release a muffled yell. "Mr. Wood," Dr. Welsh scolded, "you might have informed me that your wife was expecting twins!"

"Twins!" My body seemed to scream, and I shook my head in distress. There was no way that I could do that again. I was far too tired. I began to cry from my distress.

"I can assure you, Dr. Welsh," Oliver stated firmly, "that we had no idea that we were having twins. Other than the preliminaries, we asked not to be told anything about the baby... erm, or the babies."

Dr. Welsh breathed out in amazement before saying, "All right, Katie, I'm going to need you to push again."

"No," I wailed, and my first born of the two wailed along with me.

"Katie," Oliver whispered before pushing my hair back and kissing my brow, "I know you don't want to do this, but as soon as you get that baby out, you'll feel a load better."

I trembled as I began to push again. "That's my girl," he whispered as Dr. Welsh shouted encouraging statements from the end of the bed. "You can do it," Oliver consoled, "just one more big push, and you're done."

And Oliver was right. One more push left me feeling relieved, completely exhausted mind you, but very relieved. Another cry soon joined the room, and our doctor said, "Another boy, Mr. and Mrs. Wood! Congratulations! They're both as healthy as can be."

Dr. Welsh and his Medi-Witch handed off the babies to Oliver and myself once they were confident in the knowledge that I was breast feeding my boys and that I knew to make sure they were fed within the first thirty minutes. I set out on my mission to feed my children the moment the doctor and Medi-Witch were gone.

"Katie," Oliver began timidly.

Tears rolled down my face as I realized how horrible I had been to him. "Oh, Oliver, I'm sorry! I don't really hate you!" I cried.

He laughed. "It's okay. I understand that you were in a lot of pain. I was just going to ask what we were going to name them. We only have one boy's name: Charles Arthur Wood."

A small smile played across my lips as I replied, "Charles Frederick and Arthur George Wood will be their names."

"They're perfect names," he replied as he kissed me gently. "Which one is Charles and which is Arthur?"

I looked at my boys. I held one, and Oliver was cuddling the other. Both of the babies were beautiful, and I couldn't explain the love that filled in my heart while gazing at them. I looked down at the child in my arms, and I knew immediately which boy got which name. "The one I have is Arthur, and the one you have is Charles."

"Any reasoning behind that?" He asked gently.

I nodded, and with a smile, I said, "Arthur has a very small birthmark behind his ear that looks like a little battery. Mr. Weasley was very intrigued by batteries."

Oliver smiled and handed Charles to me. "I'll go get the family, love."

I nodded and stared down at my babies. They were perfect, and they had put the finishing touches on the cake that was the Wood family. Oliver returned moments later with our children, the Weasleys, the Lynch's, the Woods, my sister and Zachary, the Malkin's, Lee and Alicia, and the Quinsy triplets. Leslie and Alex inched forward until they were face to face with their new brothers, and the rest of the crowd soon circled around my bed. My heart was filled with joy when Alex nodded in approval of Arthur and Leslie gently stroked Charles' face.

"What are their names, dear?" Molly questioned.

"Charles Frederick and Arthur George Wood. You all have been a really big part of my life for a long time. There was already a Ronny, so I decided on Charles Arthur. However, we were blessed with twins, and I thought it was only appropriate to bless them with Frederick and George as middle names."

Molly smiled as tears filled her eyes. The crowd of loved ones nodded in approval as she whispered, "You're sweet, darling."


	27. Epilogue Three: Letting Go With

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any related material. All materials in this story are copyrighted by people that are a hell of a lot better off than I am.**

**Author's Note: I know… before any of you fantastic people say it… I know. I have gone far too long without an update. August snuck up on me and school started. Contrary to popular belief, college is not fun, and I am having a really hard time coping with the work level. It is still early for me, however, and I hope to have some type of schedule figured out soon where I will be permitted to write in my spare time. This will indefinitely be the last installment of **_**International Delight**_**, but I will start working on my next fiction soon. **

**There is a large possibility that I will write an InuYasha one shot, but I will definitely be starting a Harry Potter chapter story. I am, also, fairly certain that it will be post Hogwarts, post war, Katie+Charlie. (I grew ridiculously fond of the idea of them together in this story.) Be on the lookout for that but do not waste too much of your time. I have NO idea as to when the first chapter will be out. **

**Thanks for sticking with this guys.**

**With all of my love,**

**Christine**

**International Delight**

**Epilogue Three: Letting Go With Confidence**

**(That They Finally Got It Right)**

My eyes watered as I watched the last car of the long, maroon train disappear around the curve of the station. A trembling hand grasped my own and squeezed down tightly. Honestly, it was my third time doing this. One would think that I could handle sending my children off to school.

A tear slipped down my face, and a brusque thumb brushed it away. "Now, darling, there's no reason to cry," my husband muttered in an attempt to console me.

"No reason to cry?" I screeched. "I hope you're kidding! My last babies just left for the big world!"

I could almost feel him rolling his eyes at me. "Katie, Charlie and Art are going to Hogwarts; they're not going out in the big world. It's Leslie that we have to worry about over there in America at that fancy university!"

It was my turn to roll my eyes. "Oliver, we live forty-five minutes away from that so called fancy university."

My husband shrugged his shoulders and steered me out of the train station. "I do not care," he demanded as we walked towards Bill and Fleur, who were also seeing their children off, "if we live only forty-five minutes away from her university. It is far too large, and there are far too many young men, wizard and muggle alike, running around for my comfort. I promise you; if she comes home with so much as the scent of someone's cologne on her, heads will roll."

"Oliver," I scolded as we four climbed into a newer Ford Anglia, "she's an adult."

"I do not care if she is an adult."

"Who?" Bill inquired as he pulled the automobile into traffic.

Our eyes connected through the rearview mirror, and I could not stop myself from rolling my green orbs at my husband's promised violence. "Leslie," I provided, and I noticed Fleur's shoulders start to shake in silent mirth. She had gone through the same thing with Bill when they sent Giselle to Hogwarts.

"Not to mention," Bill began, and I could feel the groan growing in my throat. Godric, he was really going to support Oliver in this! "Most of these men will be American, as well. You know what they say about American men, right?"

"No," I replied tersely. "What do they say about American men, Bill?"

"They're pigs. Every last one of them." He stated confidently. "I would never let my Giselle be involved with an American man."

"Apparently," Fleur began airily, "Scottish and English men are pigs as well."

I gasped before giggling madly at Fleur. She had some nerve! Bill and Oliver each stared at her with a level of indignation. Fleur smiled at me through the mirror, and I grinned back in gratitude. She shrugged and pinched Bill as he opened his mouth to insert his foot once again.

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to my husband. Oliver was staring intently out of the window of the car, and a blank expression was spread masterfully across his face. A small sigh escaped his lips, and I reached for his hand.

Oliver turned to me, and I could see his brown eyes shining in uncertainty. My concern grew exponentially. "What's wrong, dear?" I whispered as I squeezed his hand comfortingly.

"Kate, what if we didn't raise her right?"

My tongue stuck in my mouth. My lips refused to part. "What if we didn't raise her right?" He had asked, and the question echoed in my head. What if we hadn't raised her right? She was a good girl, but I could see where Oliver was coming from. My parenting skills towards girls were shaky when we adopted her, and Oliver's parenting skills were next to non-existent. I shook my head to myself. No, we may not have had great parenting skills for girls, but we had raised her well.

Leslie had grown into a self-respecting and hard working young lady. She was currently enrolled as a third-year student at a university in Tennessee, and she was working night and day to obtain a degree in history (both muggle and wizarding). We were both incredibly proud of her, and I knew she would live her life well.

I squeezed my husband's hand tightly and smiled to him reassuringly. I place a chaste kiss on his lips before whispering, "Oliver, we raised all of our children well. We need not worry about any of them."

Oliver smiled in reply, and I knew I was right. Our children had been raised well, and I would be eternally happy knowing that.


End file.
